What Are the Long-Term Effects of a Head Injury to a Child?

Content Legally Reviewed By Matt Conner

The following blog article was updated in January 2022.

Unraveling the long-term effects of a child’s head injury, this article explores medical insights, developmental impacts, and legal avenues for support.

Any head injury as an adult is cause for concern, even seemingly minor ones. But what happens when that same injury happens to someone much younger? Understandably, parents want to know, What are the long-term effects of a head injury on their child?

Every case is different, but studies show that children who suffer head injuries can have lingering effects for months or even years.

To better understand the risks to your child after a head injury, speak with the Washington traumatic brain injury attorneys at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC.

Children with severe brain injuries may lose muscle control, speech, vision, hearing, or taste, depending on the damaged brain area. Personality or behavior changes, either temporary or long-term, may also result. These children require lifelong medical and rehabilitative care.

Key Takeaways

• Children may experience attention problems and social functioning deficits following a head injury.
• The effects can be influenced by the child’s environment and the injury’s severity.
• Pediatric brain injuries differ from adult ones due to ongoing brain development.
• Falling from bed can cause skull fractures, brain injury, and broken bones in infants. Campaigns should raise awareness of these risks among parents and caregivers.
• Brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in children.
• Early diagnosis and specialized care are crucial for managing potential long-term effects.

Can a Baby Falling Off a Bed or Being Dropped Cause Brain Damage?

Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to head trauma because their skulls are thinner, their neck muscles are weaker, and their heads are proportionally larger compared to their bodies. A baby who is dropped or who falls off a bed, changing table, or couch can sustain injuries ranging from a minor bump to a skull fracture or traumatic brain injury.

According to research published in the Journal of Safety Research, children under the age of two are at the highest risk for fall-related traumatic brain injuries, and being dropped by a caregiver accounts for a significant portion of TBI-related emergency department visits in this age group. Falls from even a short height can result in a skull fracture, epidural hematoma, or subdural hematoma in an infant.

Warning Signs After a Baby or Toddler Hits Their Head

Parents and caregivers should monitor a child closely for at least 48 to 72 hours after any head impact. Seek emergency medical attention if the child shows any of the following:

• Loss of consciousness, even briefly
• A seizure or convulsion
• Unequal pupil size
• Persistent or worsening vomiting
• Clear fluid or blood draining from the nose or ears
• A bulging soft spot (fontanelle) in infants
• Unusual drowsiness or difficulty waking the child
• Refusal to eat or nurse

Even if the child appears fine initially, some symptoms of brain injury in toddlers can be delayed by hours or days. A child who seems to recover from a fall but then becomes increasingly irritable, stops reaching developmental milestones, or shows changes in sleep patterns should be evaluated by a pediatric neurologist.

Why Toddler Head Injuries Deserve Extra Caution

Unlike older children and adults, toddlers cannot describe their symptoms. They cannot tell you they have a headache, feel dizzy, or are having trouble seeing. This makes it critical for parents to watch behavior closely rather than relying on verbal complaints.

Additionally, the effects of a toddler head injury may not become fully apparent until the child reaches school age and faces cognitive demands like reading, problem-solving, and sustained attention. Delayed symptoms of a toddler head injury can include difficulty learning new skills, trouble following multi-step instructions, and behavioral regression.

Medical Research on Long-Term Effects of a Head Injury to a Child

According to physicians’ research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, there’s a chance that your child could suffer lingering effects of a traumatic brain injury for around seven years. They believe that children with mild to moderate injury are twice as likely to develop attention problems. Children with severe brain injuries could be five times more likely to develop secondary attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In this study, the physicians found that a child’s environment following a head injury also influences whether they develop any attention problems. Research showed a direct link to parenting and the home environment. They found some children with more severe head injuries suffered fewer effects from their injuries when in an optimal environment than a child with mild injuries who lives in a chaotic or disadvantaged home. Parents need to respond quickly, as the long-term effects might be minimized when they practice effective parenting skills.

Moderate and severe TBIs increase dementia risk by 2 to 4 times, especially when sustained in early or midlife, as studies link TBIs to late-life dementia.

Skills that affect social functioning, such as inhibition, information processing speed, and reasoning, often show the greatest long-term effects. However, it’s important to note that researchers found many children do well long-term after a head injury, and most of them do not have “across the board deficits.”

Remember, you may not see the effects of a head injury for quite a while. It may not be until the brain needs to call on those affected skills. For example, children may not show signs of brain damage until they need to use abstract thinking. Unfortunately, some medical providers treat this incorrectly and do not realize that the underlying problem is a head injury from years ago. They may treat your child’s condition as though it’s a learning disability or emotional problem.

Can a Childhood Head Injury Cause Problems Years Later?

Yes, childhood head injuries can cause problems years later. According to the article from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood can lead to long-term health issues, including:

• Cognitive and Behavioral Changes: These may not be immediately recognized but can affect learning, self-regulation, and social participation.
• Health Complications: Childhood TBI is associated with conditions such as epilepsy, migraines, autonomic disturbances, vision and speech problems, intellectual disabilities, and mental health issues.
• Chronic Health Condition: TBI is increasingly viewed as a chronic condition since its effects may evolve over time, requiring ongoing monitoring, prevention, and management.
• Increased Risk for Neurological Diseases: Adults who had a childhood TBI have a higher risk of developing neurological conditions, cardiovascular diseases, and even early mortality.
• Educational and Social Impact: Individuals with childhood TBI tend to have lower educational attainment, more psychiatric conditions, and higher disability rates.
• Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms: Even mild TBIs (concussions) can cause long-term cognitive, behavioral, and mental health issues, with some symptoms emerging years after the injury.

The study highlights the need for ongoing care, proactive rehabilitation, and early intervention to minimize long-term impacts. Continuous monitoring and proper healthcare services can help mitigate the effects of childhood TBI and improve long-term outcomes.

How Pediatric Brain Injuries Differ from Adult Injuries

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) notes that pediatric brain injuries are different from adult ones because a child’s brain is still developing. That means any potential disabilities may not be immediately noticeable. ASHA points to a pediatric brain injury as being a chronic disease process versus a one-time event. Symptoms may change as your child ages, and then the extent of the damage will begin to unfold.

A child’s brain is considered to be less “set” than an adult, which could offer some hope that deficits and damaged tissue can be bypassed by other parts of the brain that can take over. However, it may go the opposite direction too. A brain injury at a young age can prevent a child from retaining information and the building blocks for learning. Unfortunately, if the child is very young, they don’t have many building blocks. That puts them at a disadvantage when compared to others and could handicap their learning capabilities. That can lead to a child feeling discouraged and diminished because no one truly understands what is going on.

Statistics on Brain Injuries in Children

The Brain Injury Association of America notes that brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in children and adolescents. The two age groups most at risk for a brain injury are children ages 0 to 4 and ages 15 to 19.

Each year, around 62,000 people between the ages of 0 and 19 are hospitalized for brain injuries resulting from:

• Motor vehicle accidents,
• Sports injuries,
• Falls,
• Child abuse, and
• Other accidents.

On average, emergency room departments see around 564,000 children who are then released. When looking at only children 0 to 14, there are approximately 2,685 deaths, 435,000 emergency room visits, and 37,000 hospitalizations per year.

Potential Symptoms to Watch for in Your Child

It’s crucial to diagnose a potential brain injury early on whenever possible. With children—especially younger ones— it’s hard to pinpoint symptoms as they are unable to tell you the problems and changes they are facing. Possible symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:

• Dazed appearance,
• Balance problems and walking unsteadily,
• Getting tired very easy and showing signs of listlessness,
• Excessive crying,
• Crankiness or being more irritable than usual,
• Lack of interest in favorite things or toys, and
• A change in their sleeping or eating patterns.

As time passes, there are other symptoms you should be watching out for, such as memory and concentration issues or personality changes. Some children may also develop a sensitivity to noise and light, or they may start suffering from depression or psychological adjustment problems.

How a Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Can Help

While we can’t prevent a traumatic brain injury from happening, we can do the next best thing by helping give your child the best chance at recovery. You need a lawyer who understands pediatric brain injuries and what to look for. If you have not started treating with a specialist, we can direct you to some suggested medical professionals who can help.

Your child may need specialized care and treatment in the future. If someone else’s negligence is responsible for your child’s injuries, it’s crucial to hold them accountable. You should not worry about the future or how you will handle developmental problems on your own should they arise.

Don’t leave your injured child’s future to chance. Let the skilled attorneys at Brett McCandlis Brown & Conner PLLC assist you. We have decades of experience helping injured victims just like you and your family. We give every client the individualized attention they deserve, and we have a proven record of success in collecting compensation for our clients. Contact our office today to schedule an initial consultation to learn more about how we can assist you.

FAQs

Q1: Can a childhood head injury cause problems years later?

Yes. Research shows that traumatic brain injuries sustained during childhood can lead to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional challenges that surface months or even years after the initial injury. Because a child’s brain is still developing, some effects may not become apparent until the brain is called upon to perform more complex tasks, such as abstract reasoning, long-term planning, or emotional regulation. Studies from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center indicate that children with even mild to moderate TBI are at elevated risk for secondary attention problems for up to seven years after the injury.

Q2: What are the signs of brain damage in a toddler after a fall?

After a toddler falls and hits their head, parents should watch for warning signs including persistent vomiting, unusual drowsiness or difficulty waking the child, unequal pupil size, seizures, clear fluid draining from the nose or ears, a bulging soft spot in younger infants, loss of balance, excessive crying that cannot be soothed, and changes in eating or sleeping patterns. Because toddlers cannot verbally describe symptoms like headaches or dizziness, behavioral changes are often the most reliable indicator. Any symptom that worsens over the 48 to 72 hours after a fall warrants immediate medical evaluation.

Q3: Can a baby falling off a bed cause brain damage?

It is possible. Infants have thinner skulls, weaker neck muscles, and proportionally larger heads than older children, which makes them more vulnerable to brain injury from falls. A fall from a bed, couch, changing table, or caregiver’s arms can result in a concussion, skull fracture, or intracranial bleeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends seeking emergency medical attention for any infant who falls from a height greater than three feet, loses consciousness, vomits repeatedly, or shows changes in alertness or behavior after a fall.

Q4: What does childlike behavior after a brain injury look like?

Childlike behavior after a brain injury refers to behavioral regression where the injured person displays actions or emotional responses more typical of a younger developmental stage. This can include tantrums, difficulty understanding social cues, reverting to previously outgrown habits like bedwetting or thumb-sucking, trouble with self-care tasks they had mastered, and impulsive decision-making. This occurs because brain injury can damage the frontal and temporal lobes, which are responsible for executive function, emotional regulation, and social judgment. These brain areas continue developing into a person’s mid-twenties, so childhood injuries can have lasting effects on mature behavior.

Q5: How long do the effects of a childhood head injury last?

The duration varies based on the severity of the injury, the age at which it occurred, and the treatment received. Some children recover fully within weeks or months, while others experience effects that persist for years or become permanent. Research suggests that children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries may experience attention, learning, and social functioning challenges for seven years or longer. In cases involving severe injury, lifelong medical and rehabilitative care may be necessary. Even concussions classified as mild can produce symptoms that last well beyond the typical recovery window.

Q6: Can a brain injury at birth affect a child’s development long-term?

Yes. Brain injuries that occur before, during, or shortly after birth can interfere with the formation of critical neural pathways. Depending on the severity and the area of the brain affected, birth-related brain injuries can lead to conditions including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, speech delays, and learning difficulties. Some effects may not be recognized until the child enters school and faces cognitive demands that reveal the extent of the damage.

Q7: How is a pediatric brain injury different from an adult brain injury?

A child’s brain is still developing, which means the consequences of a brain injury are fundamentally different from those in an adult. While an adult’s brain injury typically produces immediate, recognizable symptoms, a pediatric brain injury may not reveal its full impact for years. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association describes pediatric brain injury as a chronic disease process rather than a single event, because symptoms can evolve and change as the child grows and faces new developmental demands. Additionally, while a developing brain has some capacity to reroute functions around damaged areas, the same plasticity that allows compensation can also mean that lost developmental building blocks are never recovered.

Q8: What should I do if I think a past head injury is still affecting my child?

Start by scheduling an evaluation with a pediatric neurologist or neuropsychologist who specializes in traumatic brain injury. Be specific about the original injury, including when and how it happened, what medical treatment was provided at the time, and what symptoms or behavioral changes you have observed since. Neuropsychological testing can identify cognitive and emotional deficits that may be connected to a past injury, even if years have passed. Document any changes in your child’s academic performance, behavior, sleep, or social interactions, as this information will help the specialist build a complete picture. Early identification of lingering effects allows for targeted intervention, which can significantly improve outcomes.

About the Author

Matt Conner

Matt Conner has a proven track record of success. Following his graduation from Willamette University with a double major in mathematics and economics, Matt worked as an economist for the Office of Economic Analysis for the State of Oregon before moving onto working in mortgage banking and real estate. Although Matt would move on to law school shortly thereafter, his experience in the financial sector has provided him with valuable experience in how to achieve maximum compensation for his clients.

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