Long term psychosocial outcomes after mild head injury in early childhood

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The question of whether any adverse cognitive or psychosocial outcomes occur after mild head injury in early childhood has evoked considerable controversy. This study examined mild head injury before age 10 and potential differences in late childhood/early adolescence as a function of severity of mild injury and age at injury. METHODS: A fully prospective longitudinal design tracked a large birth cohort of children. Confirmed cases of mild head injury before age 10 were divided on the basis of outpatient medical attention (n=64-84) or inpatient observation (hospital overnight; n=26-28 ) and compared with the non-injured remainder of the cohort (reference group; n=613-807). A rang..