Weekly Health Page Articles: Neurosciences Institute

A Heads up on Brain Injuries

Approximately 1 million of the 1.4 million people who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year in this country are children. The two age groups at highest risk are children ages 4 and under and teens ages 15 to 19. TBI is frequently related to motor vehicle crashes.

"Child safety seats and the use of seat belts in conjunction with a booster seat significantly reduce the number of brain injuries involving children," says Robert E. Gardner, MD, neurologist on staff at Saint Francis Medical Center. "People can take additional, common-sense steps to decrease numbers even more." According to Gardner, those include:

• Setting an example by always wearing your seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle
• Making sure your child safety seat or booster seat is appropriately sized according to your child's height, weight and age
• Never driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

From Weekly Health Page: March 19, 2006