Social-emotional behaviour in infants and toddlers with mild traumatic brain injury

Area of Science:

• Pediatric neurology
• Developmental psychology
• Childhood trauma research

Background:

• Paediatric head trauma is a significant health issue in children, leading to long-term neurological, behavioral, and cognitive impairments.
• Estonia reports a particularly high incidence of head trauma among children aged 4 years and younger.
• Understanding pre-injury social-emotional behavior is crucial for identifying risk factors and improving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pre-injury social-emotional behavior in young children to identify potential risk indicators for brain trauma.
• To assess the social-emotional outcomes of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) in children at 9 months post-injury.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study involving 35 children aged 3-65 months with MTBI and 70 matched controls.
• Assessment using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) via a child monitoring system.
• Follow-up re-assessment of 27 patients and 54 controls after 9 months.

Main Results:

• Children with MTBI exhibited altered social-emotional development prior to injury, with notable deficits in self-regulation and autonomy.
• Specific age-related social-emotional risk signs for MTBI were identified: affective problems (12 months), self-regulation/communication issues (30 months), and autonomy disturbances (60 months).
• Post-injury, impairments in autonomy and self-regulation persisted at 9 months, with emerging difficulties in social interaction.

Conclusions:

• Childhood MTBI significantly and negatively impacts the development of social interaction skills.
• Informing parents about age-specific pre-injury social-emotional risk signs is essential for trauma prevention strategies.
• Early identification of social-emotional risk factors can aid in mitigating the impact of pediatric head trauma.