Most traumatic brain injuries for teens and children in the United are linked to everyday consumer products and sports, according to a new study by researchers at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Maryland. They provided a detailed list of the products and activities most associated with these serious injuries.
About the Study
Traumatic brain injuries occur when the head suffers sudden trauma that causes damage to the brain. Researchers studied estimates of over 4 million non-fatal traumatic brain injuries in children and teens in the U.S. between 2010 and 2013. Researchers reviewed the results for children between the ages of 1 and 19. The study focused on incidents of traumatic brain injuries that resulted in emergency room visits. The researchers did not analyze the severity of the injuries.
The study was published in the journal Brain Injury.
Consumer Products Linked to Traumatic Brain Injuries
The study found that approximately 72% of traumatic brain injuries that resulted in emergency department visits for children and teens are due to consumer products. The consumer products that made the top ten list for being to blame for traumatic brain injuries include the following:
- Floors
- Ceilings and walls
- Stairs
- Tables
- Chairs
- Beds
Sports and recreation-related products were linked to the highest number of traumatic brain injuries, connected to 28.8% of the injuries evaluated. Home furnishings and fixtures were responsible for another 17.2% while home structures and construction materials were connected to 17.1% of injuries. Uneven flooring and stairs contribute to falls, a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Those injuries connected to home furnishings and fixtures were highest for children between 1 and 4. Child nursery equipment was connected to 2.7% of the injuries and toys were responsible for another 2.4% of the injuries.
Car seats were the fifth leading cause of these injuries for infants. Some families use car seats out of cars as baby carriers. When they are used improperly, they may pose a danger to young children. For example, an infant may be placed in a car seat that is set upon a countertop, posing a risk of a serious fall that could cause a traumatic brain injury.
Activities Linked to Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries from sports and recreation, including football, basketball and bicycles were highest for children between 5 and 19.
Ways to Prevent Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are steps that parents, caretakers and others can take to reduce the likelihood of a traumatic brain injury, such as:
- Remove tripping hazards like area rugs
- Make stairs safer by installing stair gates and using stairway handrails that do not have sharp edges
- Improve lighting
- Avoid hard surface playgrounds
Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of TBIs in Children
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines regarding the diagnosis, treatment and long-term care for children and adolescents who sustain traumatic brain injuries. The organization recommends requesting that health providers avoid conducting imaging tests on those with mild TBIs, assessing risk factors that would indicate a longer recovery period and using age-appropriate symptom scales to diagnose concussions. Additionally, it recommends giving parents instructions regarding returning to activities after an injury and counseling children to return to non-sports activities after an injury.
