TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the Five-Year Outcomes of Abusive Head Trauma in Children
T2 - a Retrospective Cohort Study
AU - Manfield, Jaimi
AU - Oakley, Karen
AU - Macey, Julie Anne
AU - Waugh, Mary Clare
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021/1/22
Y1 - 2021/1/22
N2 - Understanding the long-term medical and developmental outcomes for children who survive abusive head trauma (AHT) is important to ensure necessary supports and services are available. This study examined the retrospective global and specific medical and developmental outcomes of 55 children with AHT who were treated at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Global outcomes were assessed using the Kings Outcome Scale of Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI). Five years post-injury, one child had died and two had made a complete recovery. Forty-five children (81.8%) had a moderate or severe disability, an increase from 64.5% at acute discharge. At follow-up, the main impairments were behavioral problems (53%), vision impairment (44%), fine motor difficulties (26%), gross motor problems (26%), communication problems (24%) and 16% had seizures. A Spearman’s Rank correlation revealed that only 41% of variance in KOSCHI scores five years post-injury could be accounted for KOSCHI scores at the time of acute discharge (rs(55) = 0.638, p < .001), and many children’s presentation was worse at follow-up. Therefore, all children presenting with AHT need long term follow up regardless of early indications of good recovery.
AB - Understanding the long-term medical and developmental outcomes for children who survive abusive head trauma (AHT) is important to ensure necessary supports and services are available. This study examined the retrospective global and specific medical and developmental outcomes of 55 children with AHT who were treated at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Global outcomes were assessed using the Kings Outcome Scale of Childhood Head Injury (KOSCHI). Five years post-injury, one child had died and two had made a complete recovery. Forty-five children (81.8%) had a moderate or severe disability, an increase from 64.5% at acute discharge. At follow-up, the main impairments were behavioral problems (53%), vision impairment (44%), fine motor difficulties (26%), gross motor problems (26%), communication problems (24%) and 16% had seizures. A Spearman’s Rank correlation revealed that only 41% of variance in KOSCHI scores five years post-injury could be accounted for KOSCHI scores at the time of acute discharge (rs(55) = 0.638, p < .001), and many children’s presentation was worse at follow-up. Therefore, all children presenting with AHT need long term follow up regardless of early indications of good recovery.
KW - Abusive head trauma
KW - five-year outcomes
KW - global outcome tool
KW - pediatric brain injury
KW - shaken baby syndrome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099763909&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17518423.2020.1869340
DO - 10.1080/17518423.2020.1869340
M3 - Article
C2 - 33478304
AN - SCOPUS:85099763909
SN - 1751-8423
VL - 24
SP - 361
EP - 367
JO - Developmental Neurorehabilitation
JF - Developmental Neurorehabilitation
IS - 6
ER -