Head injuries are a common problem among children. More than half a million young people are hospitalized each year in the United States following a head injury, and unfortunately, more than 3,000 of those children die as a result of their injury.
Car crashes and falls from bikes, playgrounds, and stairs are among the most common causes of severe head injuries.
Now, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, researchers are studying the impact of a traumatic brain injury on a child's developing brain at the cellular level. They are looking closely at the differences between the brains of children and adults when it comes to these injuries.
Courtney Robertson, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and her colleagues in the department of anesthesiology are trying to determine whether the brains of children and adults recover differently from a head injury.
Dr. Robertson suggests that this research could one day improve the way children with traumatic injuries are treated and what kinds of medication they are given.
Dr. Robertson is also an attending physician in the pediatric intensive care unit at the University of Maryland Hospital for Children. She often cares for children who have traumatic brain injuries. She reminds everyone that since there is no cure for head injuries, prevention is key. Children should be properly restrained in car seats or seat belts when in the car, and they should use helmets and other protective gear when riding a bike or other sports equipment.
For more information, check out the National Safe Kids Campaign Web site.
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