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Acute post-concussive symptoms in young children
Coco Bernard1, Audrey McKinlay2, David Krieser3
1a School of Psychological Sciences , Monash University , Melbourne , Australia.
Insights
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in young children presents with post-concussive symptoms (PCSs) that differ subtly by age. Early identification is key for optimal pediatric care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neurology
- Trauma care
- Child psychology
Background:
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common in young children.
- Limited research exists on post-concussive symptoms (PCSs) in children under eight.
- Controlling for pre-injury symptoms and trauma effects is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify PCSs differentiating mTBI from trauma controls in children early post-injury.
- Examine age-related differences in PCSs between preschool and school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- 101 children aged 2-12 presenting to an emergency department were studied.
- Participants were categorized into preschool and school-aged groups.
- PCSs were assessed via parent-reported structured interviews within 72 hours post-injury.
Main Results:
- Children with mTBI reported significantly more symptoms than trauma controls (p < 0.001).
- Preschool and school-aged children reported a similar overall number of symptoms.
- Subtle differences in symptom profiles were noted between the age groups.
Conclusions:
- Primary care clinicians must recognize diverse PCS presentations in children of all ages.
- Optimal care, particularly for younger children, requires awareness of age-specific symptom nuances.
- Further research is needed to refine symptom identification methods in pediatric populations.
Objectives:
Despite peaks of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) incidence in young children, few studies have examined the nature of post-concussive symptoms (PCSs) in children under the age of eight, whilst controlling for pre-injury symptoms and effects of trauma. The current study aimed to identify which PCSs differentiate children with mTBI from trauma controls early post-injury, and whether these differed among preschool and school-aged children.
Methods:
The sample comprised 101 children aged 2-12 presenting to an emergency department, with concussion or other minor bodily injury (control). Groups were divided by age (preschool and school-aged). PCSs were assessed within 72 hours post-injury using a comprehensive PCS checklist, administered to their parents via structured interview.
Results:
Parents of children with mTBI reported significantly more symptoms in their children than parents of children with other minor bodily trauma, p < 0.001, r = 0.84. Parents of preschool and school-aged children reported an equal number of symptoms. However, subtle differences were observed between symptom profiles of preschool and school-aged children.
Conclusions:
Primary care clinicians should be aware of post-concussive symptom presentations in children of varying ages, in order to provide optimal care, especially in younger children. Methods of eliciting symptoms may influence the identification of symptoms. This issue warrants further examination in the paediatric population. ABBREVIATIONS ED emergency department; GCS Glasgow coma scale; mTBI mild traumatic brain injury; PCS post-concussive symptoms; PTA post-traumatic amnesia; TC trauma control.
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