Neurobehavioral Sequelae of Minor Head Injuries in Children

The incidence of neurobehavioral sequelae in children who have sustained minor head injury is controversial. Following an emergency room visit, behavioral symptoms in 247 children with mild head injuries were compared to those in 280 children with trauma to other regions of the body. Serial telephone interviews showed that complaints of irritability, clinging behavior and sleep disturbances were common in both groups, though headaches were a more frequent problem in the head-trauma patients. Virtually all symptoms were transient. Our results demonstrate a high incidence of behavioral sequelae in children after minor head injury and suggest that physicians should counsel parents about this brief functional morbidity.