Posted by Child  Brain Injury Attorney Josephine Cullotta 

Contemporary pediatrics just published an article called What’s causing nonfatal TBIs in kids? This article like many others raises awareness about a recent study published in the Journal Brain Injury showing nearly 72% of non-fatal Traumatic Brain Injury-related ER department visits among infants to 19 year old are related to 10 types of consumer products.

The study discusses the top 10 leading consumer products contributing to non-fatal traumatic brain injuries in infants to 19 years old.  

The Top 10 Products Contributing to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are:

• • football
  • bicycles
  • basketball
  • soccer
  • floors 
  • stairs
  • ceilings and walls
  • beds
  • chairs
  • tables

Sports and Recreation Products relative to Concussion:

• • The data in this study shows that the most common product groups related to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children are in relation to sports and recreation, which was linked to 28.8% of TBI.
  • Football, bicycles and basketball — were highest percentage among children ages 5 to 19.  

Home Structure & Construction Materials Contributing to Concussion:

• • Home structures and construction materials, tied to 17.1% of brain injuries.  For instance, “[u]neven flooring and prefabricated stairs often contribute to falls. Slipping, tripping and falling are very common. Some falls can cause serious head injuries,” said Ali

Home furnishings and fixtures attributable to Concussion:

• • Home furnishings and fixtures, tied to 17.2%;  primarily beds, were highest among infants and children up to 4 years old.  
  • Child nursery equipment, tied to 2.7% of injuries, and toys, tied to 2.4%, among other products. 

“The findings were not very surprising. One interesting finding was that car seats is the fifth leading cause of traumatic head injuries in infants,… a car seat placed on a table or countertop poses is a risk of falling and injuring the infant.” Ali said.

The researchers suggest these strategies to prevent Child Brain Injury:

• • Eliminate tripping hazards, like, area rugs;
  • Improve lighting;
  • avoid hard surface playgrounds;
  • Use home safety devices, like, stair gates;
  • Use stairway handrails – without sharp edges;
  • Find Other Strategies to Prevent TBI to your Family

CDC’s Guidelines Teen & Child Brain Injury:

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a set of guidelines in 2018 for the diagnosis, treatment and long-term care of children and teens with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). 

• • Asking health care providers to avoid routinely conducting imaging tests on children who have a concussion
  • Use age-appropriate brain injury symptom scales to diagnose concussion (Traumatic Brain Injury)
  • Assess risk factors that would signal a prolonged brain injury recovery

Effects or symptoms of a Child’s Brain Injury may include:

• • Difficulty concentrating during lessons
  • Frustration over the increased difficulty to master new skills
  • Acting out at inappropriate times
  • Inability to focus while taking exams
  • Exhaustion before the end of the school day 

If you or your child has a traumatic brain injury or concussion because of someone else’s negligence, contact  Brain Injury Attorney Cullotta in Glenview & Chicago IL at 847-651-7191.