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 and how serious it is
- most tamariki who have a mild traumatic brain injury (also called a concussion) 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 problems with concentration and memory, changes in behaviour and emotion, as well as physical symptoms such as tiredness or reduced energy levels
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 and non-traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injury
A traumatic brain injury is the most common type of brain injury and is generally the result of an impact or jolt to the head that is strong enough to injure the brain. The most frequent cause 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, such as an illness that affects 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 may experience a variety of symptoms or difficulties following 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 (also called a concussion) generally get better within 2 to 3 weeks (or a little longer).
Tamariki with more serious brain injuries often have both early and long-term symptoms. Common symptoms include tiredness (or fatigue) 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
A general practitioner (GP), ambulance paramedics or hospital staff will assess your child after a brain injury and let you know how serious the injury is. Health professionals usually classify traumatic brain injuries as mild, moderate or severe based on things like:
- how long a child or young person is unconscious
- the level of loss of consciousness after the injury - this is based on a child's ability 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, so injuries can have different effects depending on the area affected. There are also connections between areas of the brain, so 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. If they have had any previous injuries or illnesses affecting the brain, then a brain injury may also affect them differently.
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 general practitioner (GP) or hospital emergency department doctor can give advice on how to care for your child. They will give you a list of warning signs to watch for.
Sometimes, tamariki need to spend a short time in hospital 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 while they require medical monitoring or treatment (either at your local hospital or at Starship Hospital).
Ongoing help
Your child may also need ongoing help from rehabilitation professionals to return to actively participating in their home, school and community. This can be as an inpatient at a child rehabilitation centre (if your child has had a more serious brain injury), or as an outpatient in the community. Outpatient rehabilitation can be through a child rehabilitation service, a concussion service or 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 (also called a concussion) get better within 2 to 3 weeks, although they can take a little longer.
It is difficult for the doctors or the rehabilitation team to know exactly how long recovery will take if your child has a more serious brain injury, especially at the beginning.
Recovery from a brain injury can be a long process so it is important that you as parents look after yourselves too. Health professionals in the hospital, rehabilitation centre and community rehabilitation teams are also there to support 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.
