Complications From Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury
Common treatments and rehabilitation for pediatric traumatic brain injury is packaged into a multidisciplinary package that includes motor, physiotherapy, and psychological therapy among other things. On the other hand, the treatment and management of further complications from neuroendocrine injuries are almost always overlooked and missed.
This oversight stems from the fact that traditional treatment and care for pediatric traumatic brain injury has been adapted from the treatment for adults. For the longest time, pediatric traumatic brain injury has not been given enough attention and research. New trends now recognize that there is a uniqueness to pediatric traumatic brain injury that entail attention and treatment separate and distinct from the treatment given to adults.
What makes pediatric traumatic brain injury different is the fact that the child's age and level of development at the time of trauma will be more than likely affected. This is why it is important to do more than the usual motor and cognitive diagnosis for pediatric traumatic brain injury patients to be able to correctly asses any and all damages sustained.
Emphasis on tests to determine if any neuroendocrine complications have been sustained is important especially for pediatric traumatic brain injury that occurs in older children and adolescents. If the endocrine abnormality due to neurological impact is not apparent immediately through clinical testing, it is important to stay observant and report and consult any growth and development problems witnessed after the occurrence of pediatric traumatic brain injury.
Hypopituitarism may occur from neuroendocrine complications incurred from pediatric traumatic brain injury. The problem occurs when trauma to the brain causes damage to the pituitary gland and is unable to secrete the important hormones needed for physical development and maturation for children.
If parents are not warned to look out for signs of neuroendocrine complications, particularly symptoms of hypopituitarism it may take several years before any abnormality is noticed and treated. In the meantime, the child may suffer needlessly and his or her quality of life may be greatly challenged.
This is because hypopituitarism as a result of pediatric traumatic brain injury may begin to manifest itself starkly only when the child shows no visible and observable signs of further development like the occurrence of menses and the growth of breasts in females and the physical manifestation of development like the production of pubic hair in both males and females.
Aside from these physiological attributes or lack there of, the child with sustained pediatric traumatic brain injury may also exhibit poor performance in school and this may be attributed to constant fatigue and exhaustion that he or she feels as part of the symptoms of hypopituitarism.
The occurrence of hypopituitarism as part of neuroendocrine complications that stem from pediatric traumatic brain injury can be very common among children above five years old and below the age of adolescence. Many occurrences in the past have not been noted because the problem surfaced only after several years.
Now that more and more medical evidence leads to the observance of neuroendocrine complications due to pediatric traumatic brain injury, more care and attention must be given to this matter; not only by specialists and attending medical practioners but also from parents of children who otherwise seem normal after pediatric traumatic brain injury to ensure the good health, healthy development and quality of life that they deserve.
Head Injury Tip #1
Any injury to the head should be taken very seriously. Otherwise, the injured person could suffer from paralysis or even death if necessary medical treatment is not administered immediately. Without conducting some tests, like x-ray and/or CT scan, the injured or the doctor will not know the extent of the injury.
Head Injury Tip #2
Observe the injured person constantly for additional symptoms that may develop. Document these changes meticulously to help the patient's physician in diagnosing the extent of the brain injury, since onset of symptoms may occur days, weeks or months after the initial injury.
Head Injury Tip #3
Get as much details as soon as possible about the incident that caused the traumatic brain injury. Whatever the cause of the injury - car accident, work-related, working around the house, etc., it will be important to have all the details documented in case the cause of the injury ends up in court.