Yes, anyone can get a brain injury, even small children and infants.
Brain injury is also known as:
- Acquired Brain Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Head Injury
- Acquired Cerebral Insult
- Drug and Alcohol Related Brain Injury
Brain Injury: A Definition
Brain injury is not a disease or something you can “catch”. Brain Injury is defined as a loss of brain function caused by:
Accidents
- road accident
- sport and/or work related
- assaults
Poisoning
- drinking too much alcohol
- overuse of prescribed drugs
- use of illegal drugs
- petrol and chemical sniffing
Stroke
- rupture of a blood vessel in the brain
- blockage of blood supply to the brain
Brain tumours
- cancerous
- non-cancerous
Infections
- meningitis
- encephalitis
Lack of oxygen
- near drowning
- severe asthma attack
- lack of blood flow to the brain
A brain injury can have very serious effects on the lives of children who sustain the injury and the people who support and assist them.
The Statistics
Each year in NSW, about 10,000 people will sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury. 70% of these injuries will be caused by motor vehicle accidents.
Of all the injuries about 1,000 people will have a permanent disability, and, about 300 will have a severe disability.
Over 3,000 children either die or are injured in traffic accidents each year.
What Can You Do If You Think A Child Has Had A Brain Injury?
If a child has suffered a brain injury, however mild, and develops any of the following symptoms report immediately to your local doctor or a hospital:
- Headache
- Giddiness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Drowsiness
You may notice other changes in the child during the months after the injury. For example:
- Difficulty with new school work or new activities.
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering instructions.
- Slowness in thinking about new things.
- Changes in their ability to join in the same games and activities as they used to.
- Changes in their ability to understand what was said or follow a conversation.
- Changes in their ability to re-tell the day’s events or find the right word.
- Inappropriate sexual discussions or activities.
How Can You Help Children Avoid Brain Injury?
- Encourage them to wear a correctly fitted and fastened helmet or stack-hat when using skates, roller-blades, push-bikes and skateboards and riding a horse or mini-bike.
- Encourage Councils to provide safety fencing and speed humps near schools.
- Encourage children to cross at traffic lights when going to and from school.
- Ensure swimming pools are safely fenced and covered.
- Keep ladders, tools, chemicals and paints safely stored where children cannot get to them.
- Supervise small children when they play in the yard to make sure they don’t run on to the street and get hit by a motor vehicle (a major cause of injury).
- Always place containers of water or fluids where children cannot reach them. Only give a child medication prescribed by a doctor.
- Put your medication or alcohol where the children cannot reach them. Drive carefully and keep your speed under the limits.
- Teach young adults how to enjoy a drink without getting drunk
- Encourage children and young adults not to experiment with drugs or chemicals.
* Source : Brain Injury Association of NSW
