During the time immediately following your child’s brain injury, a million questions run through your mind. Some of the most prevalent questions concern your child’s future. Questions like:

• Will my child ever be the same?
• Will my child ever get better?
• What is the long-term prognosis of my child’s brain injury?

Because no two brain injuries are alike, and because brain injuries are particularly unpredictable in children, a doctor may be initially unwilling to give anything but a loose prognosis.

However, tests administered in the emergency room, as well as the Glasgow Coma Scale, can tell doctors about the type and extent of the injury, as well as the child’s level of consciousness. All these things taken into consideration, the injury will then be diagnosed as mild brain injury, moderate brain injury, or severe brain injury. In many cases, the longer a child remains unconscious, the higher the likelihood of long-term effects.

As time passes a prognosis will be easier to arrive at, as the majority of gains are made within the first six months. In addition, the right rehabilitation, treatment, and therapies can significantly impact your child’s ability to gain maximum function.