Children are incredibly active and they have little sense of danger so it is not surprising that they are prone to head injuries. In addition, their heads are large in proportion to their bodies and therefore more vulnerable to damage than adults’. Head injuries may involve the scalp, the skull, the brain or its protective membranes.
BBC HEALTH (taken from the Journal of Neurosurgery)
Simple household falls may be more likely to produce severe brain injuries in babies than previously thought, say researchers.
Using a specially-created lifelike "six-week old" doll, they simulated a series of falls onto carpet, foam and concrete.
The results suggest the way the head twists on impact is likely to increase the damage caused.
Brain injuries are the most common cause of death in childhood, killing or hospitalising thousands in the UK each year.
Learning more about pediatric brain injuries will help to develop protective devices - helmets, playground surfaces, and car seats - that better meet their specific needs.
The researchers were looking for evidence of "rotational deceleration" - rapid changes in velocity as the head contacts a hard surface before the body and then violently rebounds. The researchers concluded that these would probably cause brain hemorrhages and other widespread injury.
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