Late Prognosis of Severe Head Injuries in Childhood

Abstract

Twenty-two children from 1 to 14 years of age treated at Kronprinsessan Lovisas Barnsjukhus in Stockholm for severe head injuries during a 10-year period have been followed up 6 months to 9 1/2 years after the injury. The duration of unconsciousness has varied from 1-50 days. The follow-up examination shows 9 cases to be free from neurological and psychiatric sequelae, while 13 are shown to have sequelae. Only in 6 of these worst cases were the sequelae severe and in 3 cases serious invalidism occurred. Even cases which at the time of discharge had shown serious neurological or psychiatric symptoms were at the time of follow-up completely free from symptoms. Improvement was indicated to have come years after trauma. No correlation was found between the duration of unconsciousness and the severity of the sequelae.