Social-emotional behaviour in infants and toddlers with mild traumatic brain injury.
BACKGROUND
Paediatric head trauma is a serious health concern often leading to neurological, behavioural and cognitive impairments. In Estonia head trauma incidence is especially high in children up to 4 years.


OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate young children's pre-injury social-emotional behaviour to discover potential risk signs for brain trauma and to study social-emotional outcome 9 months post-injury.


METHODS
Thirty-five 3-65 month old children with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and 70 matched controls were retrospectively assessed with child monitoring system Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional. During follow-up 27 patients and 54 controls were re-assessed after 9 months.


RESULTS
Children with MTBI showed altered social-emotional development already before the injury. Deficits were evident in self-regulation and autonomy. Age-specific social-emotional risk signs for MTBI were found. Compared to controls more pre-injury affective problems were seen in 12-month olds, self-regulation, and communication difficulties in 30-month olds and autonomy disturbances in 60-month old children. 9 months post-injury impairments in autonomy and self-regulation were still present and new difficulties in interaction had developed.


CONCLUSIONS
Childhood MTBI has a serious negative effect on further development of interaction skills. To prevent possible traumas, parents should be informed of different age-specific pre-injury social-emotional risk signs.
Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Estonia. mari-liis.kaldoja@kliinikum.ee
Mari-Liis
ML
Kaldoja
Anneli
A
Kolk
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires