Key points about brain injury
- brain injury is the most common cause of disability in tamariki and rangatahi (young people)
- how a brain injury affects your child, and the treatment they need, depends on the type of injury they have
- most tamariki who have a mild traumatic brain injury generally get better within 2 to 3 weeks
- tamariki with more serious brain injuries often have both early and long-term problems
- common symptoms include tiredness and changes in thinking, behaviour and emotion
This page is part of a whole section on brain injury. You might also find some of the other content helpful.
The different types of brain injury
An acquired brain injury means a child was not born with their injury. It is the result of an accident or illness after birth.
There are 2 types of acquired brain injury:
- traumatic brain injury
- non-traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury is the most common type of brain injury. A mild traumatic brain injury is also called a concussion. It is generally the result of an impact or jolt to the head that is strong enough to injure the brain. The most frequent causes in tamariki and rangatahi include:
- falls
- car or bike accidents
- sports injuries
Non-traumatic brain injury
A non-traumatic brain injury is the result of something that happens inside the body. This includes conditions that affect the brain. Examples include:
- meningitis or another brain infection
- interrupted blood flow to the brain (such as in a stroke)
- a growth (tumour) in the brain
Possible symptoms or difficulties of a brain injury
Your child might have different symptoms or challenges after a brain injury. It depends on the type of injury and how serious the injury is. Most tamariki who have a mild traumatic brain injury generally get better within 2 to 3 weeks. Some may take a little longer.
Tamariki with more serious brain injuries often have both early and long-term symptoms. Common symptoms include tiredness and changes in thinking, behaviour and emotion.
Brain Injury - Symptoms & Difficulties
How a brain injury may affect a child
How a brain injury affects your child will depend on many factors.
How serious your child's injury is
After a brain injury, a health professional will assess your child and tell you how serious the injury is. Health professionals usually classify traumatic brain injuries as:
- mild
- moderate
- severe
Health professionals classify a traumatic brain injury based on things like:
- how long a child or young person is unconscious
- the level of loss of consciousness after the injury - whether your child was able to open their eyes and respond with words or movements
- how long it takes a child to remember things after the accident
Measuring the seriousness of a non-traumatic brain injury is more complicated. The seriousness of the brain injury may change during a child's illness.
Type of injury or part of the brain that was injured
Brain injuries can either:
- affect only a very specific part of the brain (focal)
- be more widespread (diffuse)
Each area (or lobe) of the brain does a different job. Injuries can have different effects depending on the area affected. There are also connections between different areas of the brain. This means an injury to one area may result in problems associated with other parts of the brain.
Your child's age and previous experiences
Your child's age and stage of development will also have an impact on how their brain injury affects them. A brain injury may also affect tamariki differently if they have had:
- a previous injury to the brain
- a previous illness that affected the brain
Managing a brain injury
If your child has had a brain injury, the treatment they receive will depend on the type of injury and how serious it is.
A minor brain injury or concussion
If your child has a minor brain injury or concussion, a health professional can guide you on how to care for them. They will give you a list of warning signs to watch for.
Sometimes, tamariki need to spend a short time in hospital. This happens if they need further assessment or monitoring.
A more serious injury
If your child has a more serious injury, they will usually stay in hospital. This is so they can have medical monitoring or treatment. They may either stay at your local hospital or at Starship Hospital.
Ongoing help
Your child may also need ongoing help from rehabilitation health professionals. This is to help them return to actively participating in their home, school and community.
Rehabilitation can happen as:
- an inpatient at a child rehabilitation centre - if your child has had a more serious brain injury
- an outpatient in the community
Outpatient rehabilitation can be through:
- a child rehabilitation service
- a concussion service
- a therapy team funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)
Outpatient rehabilitation can be through a child rehabilitation service, a concussion service or a therapy team funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).
Recovering from a brain injury
Most tamariki who have a mild traumatic brain injury get better within 2 to 3 weeks. Sometimes they can take a little longer.
Health professionals cannot always predict how long recovery will take for tamariki with a serious brain injury. This is especially hard to know early on.
Recovery from a brain injury can take time. It is important for parents and caregivers to look after themselves too. Support is also available for parents and whānau.
More Information
The Ministry Of Education's Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) site has a range of practical resources for teachers to help students returning to learning following a concussion or other acquired brain injury (ABI).
Topics include:
Changes to physical wellbeing
Changes to cognition and thinking processes
Effects of ABI on stages of development
Changes to emotions, social skills, behaviour, and wairua
The Paediatric Rehabilitation Service provides specialist rehabilitation for children and young people who have problems with daily activities because of injury or illness. The service helps them return to life at home and in their community. The team works with the Child Rehabilitation Service at the Wilson Centre to support children and young people across New Zealand. Paediatricians, medical or surgical specialists, and ACC case managers can refer to the service.
Visit the ACC website to see their 4-page PDF booklet about the brain. It looks at the different parts of the brain and what can happen when there is a brain injury. This ACC booklet provides general information - it's not specifically aimed at children and young people.
Read the booklet in:
Visit the ACC website to see their 4-page PDF booklet about brain injury. This ACC booklet provides general information - it's not specifically aimed at children and young people.
Read the booklet in:
Acknowledgements
The content on this page has been developed and approved by the Paediatric Rehabilitation Team and the Clinical Neuropsychology Team, Consult Liaison, Starship Child Health.
