Head Injuries in Stroller Accidents

A recent news feature from the New York Times takes a look the number of reported head injuries as a result of stroller accidents and how those numbers are on the rise. National reporting statistics show that on average, 50 children each day will be seen in the emergency room because of a head injury suffered while in a baby carrier or stroller.

While this is bad enough on its own, it now seems that a far greater percentage of these children are suffering from a traumatic brain injury than previously believed. These new numbers came from the National Injury Surveillance System.  It should be noted that in the context of scientific research, surveillance means looking at various types of records rather than taking an actual roll in the events or treatment while they are happening.  A surveillance study can happen years later because there is no interaction required by the researchers.In this surveillance study, researchers looked at head injury cases in the emergency room in young children that occurred between 1990 and 2010.   Over this period of time, there was tremendous increase in the number of accidents that results in children suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

However, as our Boston personal injury lawyers have seen, this does not necessarily mean that there are more traumatic brain injuries occurring in recent years, but doctors have been better detection methods and there is also a greater importance placed on traumatic head injuries.  In the 1990s, when a high school student got knocked out in football practice, the coach might crack a smelling salts ampule under his nose and then tell him to shake it off and get back in the game.  This should never happen today, as waking someone with smelling salts can cause more damage and then the student should be given a complete examination with concussion protocols.

A concussion happens as a result of the brain hitting the skull with sufficient force to cause an injury.  It should be noted that it is not necessary for there be any type of cut on the outside of the head for there to be a concussion.  This is known as a closed head injury.  When a concussion occurs, there can be swelling, as blood will be trapped between the brain and one of the dural layers.  This swelling puts pressure on the brain and can cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain, and that will result in a traumatic brain injury that can be permanent.

As one researcher interviewed for this article notes, this increase in the number of traumatic brain injury cases in children may actually be a good thing, as odd as that may sound.  The reason for this is because the more cases doctors’ diagnosis, the better the treatment for those children will be.  It is not as if they were not being injured in the past, it was just that they were not being diagnosed with an injury they likely had.

If you have suffered personal injury in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.

More Head Injuries Reported for Babies in Stroller Accidents, August 17, 2016, By Rachel Rabkin Peachman, New York Times

More Blog Entries:

Eye Test as Means to Test for Concussion and Brain Injury, July 23, 2016, Boston Brain Injury Lawyer Blog