Half a Million Children
No parent wants to go through the trauma that comes with finding out their child may have a brain injury. Especially in those crucial early developmental stages, any damage to the brain can have significant long term implications, including personality changes, hearing or vision loss, and speech-related issues.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association estimates that about half a million children under the age of 14 are admitted to the emergency room annually with suspicion of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). While 46% of these cases are mild一usually concussions一16% are classified as severe. Although this may seem relatively low, it amounts to around 80,000 children dealing with severe brain injuries each year.
What Causes These?
Since brain injuries are relatively common, it’s no surprise that their causes can come from things that a child would do every day. In the United States, car and bicycle accidents, falls, and sports trauma are some of the leading causes for children under 14.
However, severe brain injuries in children less than a year old are most likely to come from some kind of abuse. Another common cause in this age group results from an injury at birth.
Brain Injuries at Birth
Brain injuries from birth can happen during the pregnancy or in the labor and delivery process. Two of the main causes from delivery have to do with administering too much Pitocin and lack of oxygen to the baby. Both can negatively affect your child’s brain development throughout their life.
TBIs can also be caused by labor and delivery, usually associated with contractions or certain tools used during the process. You can read more about this in our blog detailing common causes of brain injuries here.
Need Help? Call Our North Carolina Injury Attorneys
Daniel, Holoman & Associates LLP has successfully gotten major settlements for clients in catastrophic, brain, and birth injury cases. We pride ourselves in aggressive advocacy that produces real results. If you or a loved one is looking for representation for a personal injury or medical malpractice case, contact us to schedule a free consultation.
You can book an appointment by calling (866) 380-2281 or filling out the form on our website.