Long-term Impact of Abusive Head Trauma in Young Children: Outcomes at 5 and 11 Years Old
jpedsurg.org shows its articles on its own site.
Read the article on jpedsurg.org ↗Article · Feb 2021 · 1 min read
In brief
In brief
Longitudinal study of 1,165 children with abusive head trauma demonstrates high rates of neurodevelopmental disability (68% at age 5, rising to 82% at age 11), with younger age at injury (<1 year) associated with worse outcomes. Findings underscore the need for comprehensive long-term follow-up protocols for AHT survivors.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Abstract
Background
: Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among young children. We aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of AHT.
Methods
: Using administrative claims from 2000–2018, children <3 years old with documented AHT who had follow-up through ages 5 and 11 years were identified. The primary outcome was incidence of neurodevelopmental disability and the secondary outcome was the effect of age at time of AHT on long-term outcomes.
Results
: 1,165 children were identified with follow-up through age 5; 358 also had follow-up through age 11. The incidence of neurodevelopmental disability was 68.0% (792/1165) at 5 years of age and 81.6% (292/358) at 11 years of age. The incidence of disability significantly increased for the 358 children followed from 5 to 11 years old (+14.3 percentage points, p<0.0001). Children <1 year old at the time of AHT were more likely to develop disabilities when compared to 2 year olds.
Conclusions
: AHT is associated with significant long-term disability by age 5 and the incidence increased by age 11 years. There is an association between age at time of AHT and long-term outcomes. Efforts to improve comprehensive follow-up as children continue to age is important.
Level of Evidence
: IV