Study Finds Key to Protecting Children from Head Trauma

Research recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides evidence that protecting children in advance from head injuries is the key to reducing their severity. The exhaustive analysis, collected from the data of more than 40,000 childhood brain-trauma cases, shows that the most common cause of brain injury among children younger than 12 is falling — typically from a moving bicycle, scooter or other wheeled device. Among U.S. adolescents, the three major causes of brain trauma are automobile accidents, assaults and sports-related injuries. “We studied a very large cohort of patients in our secondary analysis of this previously collected data,” said a professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at the Wayne State School of Medicine. “The bottom line on this prospective study of more than 43,000 pediatric brain injuries is that it identifies falls — often from bicycles — as the major cause of trauma in children under age 12. Knowing that, we’re now better able to help education parents and policymakers alike about the great value of safety helmets for the population of kids.” To read more about this study, click here.