Post-Concussive Symptoms in Preschool Children up to Three Months Post-Injury

ABSTRACT

Background and aims

Post-concussive symptoms (PCS) are central to the assessment and management of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); however, this remains poorly understood in children aged ≤5 years. The study aimed to explore individual PCS, pattern of parents’ PCS report over time, proportion of symptomatic children, and variables associated with parents’ report of PCS in their preschool child after a mTBI.

Methods

Children aged 2-5 years with either a mTBI (n=13) or limb injury (n=6) were recruited from the emergency department (ED). Parent ratings of child PCS were assessed at ED presentation, at one month, and at three months post-injury. Injury (e.g. injury group, pain), child (e.g. pre-existing behavior, symptoms), and parent (e.g. parental stress, education) characteristics were considered when investigating variables that may be relevant to parent report of PCS.

Results

The number of total, physical, and sleep PCS were significantly higher after mTBI, with a significant decrease in physical and sleep PCS over time. The proportion of symptomatic children was comparable between injury groups at each time point. Acute pain and pre-injury symptoms were significantly associated with parents’ acute PCS report in the mTBI group. Further research is needed on variables that may be relevant to parents’ PCS report at follow-up.

Conclusion

Preliminary findings suggest a general trauma response after a mTBI or limb injury, but acute physical and sleep PCS may help differentiate the injury groups. Injury and premorbid child variables may be relevant to parents’ report of acute PCS in their child. Additional research is needed to investigate PCS in preschoolers and variables that may predict parents’ PCS report.

KEYWORDS:

• Mild TBI
• post-concussive symptoms
• preschool

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the families who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17518423.2023.2242945.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was secured for this study. The authors acknowledge the support from the Melbourne Research Scholarship available through The University of Melbourne, from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), and from the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Fund.