Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: Assessing Outcomes in Children

The report summarizes the comments, suggestions, and recommendations of a working group convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an assessment of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) outcomes in children and youth. It is intended for researchers, public health professionals - including those from state health departments - and advocates interested in furthering research on outcomes of TBI in children.

TBI is often described as the leading cause of disability in children, but data to support this assertion are lacking. We know that each year an estimated 3,000 children and youth die from TBI; 29,000 are hospitalized; and 400,000 are treated in hospital emergency departments. Currently, no population-based studies of the outcomes of TBI among children and youth exist to provide national estimates of TBI-related disability and document the need for services.