What is Brain Injury?

Acquired brain injury is defined as any type of brain injury occurring after birth that is not caused by a congenital disorder or degenerative disease.

There are two types of acquired brain injury:

            • Traumatic brain injury
            • Non-traumatic brain injury

Causes of brain injury range from trauma to the head to lack of oxygen due to choking or strangling. Symptoms of brain injury can be mild, moderate, or severe, and generally the severity of the symptoms, as well as how long they last, indicate the long-term prognosis of the child. In some children symptoms diminish relatively quickly, while others suffer from the effects of their brain injury their entire lives and never entirely return to full function. How the brain injury affects the survivor in the long term depends upon which area of the brain was injured, as well as the severity of that injury.

Anyone with symptoms of a brain injury should receive treatment immediately. Doctors and other medical professionals use the Glasgow Coma Scale as well as a variety of imaging tests to diagnose and treat the brain injury as effectively and quickly as possible. Quick and accurate treatment is necessary for the patient to maintain as much long-term function as possible.

While some people recover fully from brain injury, many survivors are left with long-term disabilities. Children with permanent disabilities as a result of brain injury have access to a wide variety of treatments and therapies designed to help them compensate for their injuries, meet their specific challenges, and live as happy and productive life as possible.