Types of Head Injury in Children: Common Cases in Texas

Traumatic Brain Injury in Children

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force disrupts normal brain function. Pediatric TBIs can range from a mild TBI to a moderate or severe TBI. The types of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) by severity include:

• Mild traumatic brain injury: Mild TBIs are often called mild concussions. A mild traumatic brain injury can involve a brief loss of consciousness or none at all. Mild TBI symptoms can include headache, confusion, vomiting, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. However, even mild concussions can have lasting effects.
• Moderate traumatic brain injury: Moderate TBIs often involve longer loss of consciousness, abnormal imaging, persistent neurological symptoms, memory loss, and cognitive deficits. These pediatric brain injuries often require hospitalization and ongoing monitoring.
• Severe traumatic brain injury: These severe injuries are associated with extended loss of consciousness, significant abnormalities on an MRI or CT scan, intracranial bleeding, swelling, or coma. Severe traumatic brain injuries can result in lifelong disability, delays in development, seizures, personality changes, or long-term care needs.

A moderate or severe TBI can cause lifelong motor skill, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. In Texas, moderate or severe TBIs are a leading cause of death and disability in children. The consequences of these severe injuries reshape every aspect of the child’s future. If you believe your child’s symptoms will affect your child’s future, our attorneys handle the entire legal process of pursuing traumatic brain injury claims in San Antonio.

Pediatric Concussion

Pediatric concussions are a form of mild traumatic brain injury caused by rapid head movement that disrupts normal brain function. Our San Antonio pediatric concussion lawyer team sees many personal injury cases in which the pediatric patient was diagnosed with a minor concussion, only to produce post-concussive symptoms.

Here are the types of pediatric head trauma, classified by severity:

• Grade 1 and Grade 2: Brief symptoms such as headache, balance problems, nausea or confusion lasting around minutes with no loss of consciousness.
• Grade 3: Involves any loss of consciousness, even if brief, and typically requires urgent medical evaluation and imaging.

Types of pediatric head trauma by clinical pattern include:

• Simple: Symptoms gradually resolve within 7 to 10 days with rest and proper monitoring.
• Complex: The child’s symptoms persist for weeks or months and may involve repeated trauma, prolonged cognitive impairment, or delayed recovery.
• Second Impact Syndrome: Occurs when a second concussion happens before the first has fully healed, leading to rapid brain swelling and potentially catastrophic consequences.
• Post Concussion Syndrome: Ongoing symptoms such as headaches, memory problems, mood changes, and sleep disturbance lasting beyond the expected recovery period.

Proper diagnosis and graduated return to activities are essential to prevent long-term neurological complications.

Pediatric Skull Fracture

A pediatric skull fracture is a break in one or more bones of the skull caused by blunt force trauma, falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, or physical abuse. Because the skull of very young children is still developing, depending on the location and severity, a pediatric skull fracture may require surgical intervention and carries a significant risk of underlying brain damage, infection, and bleeding. Children’s skull fracture symptoms may include swelling, scalp bruising, vomiting, irritability, altered consciousness, seizures, or clear fluid drainage from the nose or ears.

Types of pediatric skull fractures include:

• Linear Skull Fracture: This is the most common type and may heal without surgery if no underlying brain injury exists.
• Depressed Skull Fracture: This type may require surgical intervention if there is pressure on brain tissue or cosmetic deformity.
• Basilar Skull Fracture: This may be associated with bruising around the eyes, bruising behind the ears, or cerebrospinal fluid leakage. These fractures carry an increased risk of complications.
• Diastatic Skull Fracture: This causes widening of the fracture lines. More common in infants and toddlers.
• Growing Skull Fracture: While rare, this fracture enlarges over time due to underlying dural tear and brain pulsation, often requiring surgery.

Prompt diagnosis is critical to detect associated intracranial bleeding, brain swelling, or infection. Early intervention reduces the risk of long-term impairments. A pediatric brain injury lawyer can help parents pursue child and infant skull fracture claims in San Antonio.

Cerebral Contusion

A cerebral contusion is a bruise on the brain tissue itself, typically caused by direct impact. Contusions can cause focal neurological deficits depending on the area affected, and they carry the risk of swelling and hemorrhage if not closely monitored.

Hematoma and Intracranial Hemorrhage in Child Victims

Intracranial bleeding is one of the most dangerous consequences of pediatric head trauma. Our San Antonio child brain injury attorney team can provide assistance in the following and more:

• Epidural Hematoma: Bleeding between the skull and dura mater. This is often associated with a skull fracture and arterial bleeding.
• Subdural Hematoma: Bleeding between the dura mater and the brain surface, and is commonly seen in shaken baby syndrome and high-impact trauma.
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Bleeding into the subarachnoid space surrounding the brain, causing severe headache and risk of vasospasm.
• Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Bleeding directly into brain tissue, carrying a high risk of permanent neurological damage.

Diffuse Axonal Injuries (DAI) / Traumatic Axonal Injury (TAI)

DAI or TAI is a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by rapid acceleration, deceleration, or rotational forces, tearing the nerve fibers. The most common causes of these pediatric traumatic brain injuries are high-speed motor vehicle accidents, major falls, and physical abuse. This form of pediatric head trauma may not be visible on CT scans and often requires an MRI for diagnosis. This form of children’s traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of persistent vegetative state.

HIE (Birth Asphyxia, Perinatal Asphyxia, Acute Neonatal Encephalopathy)

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy HIE is a serious neonatal brain injury caused by reduced oxygen and blood flow to a baby’s brain before, during, or shortly after delivery. Without rapid intervention, damage can begin within minutes. The stages of HIE include:

• Stage 1 Mild: Babies may be irritable, hyperalert, or have increased muscle tone and feeding difficulties. The child’s symptoms typically resolve within 24 hours, and long-term outcomes are often favorable.
• Stage 2 Moderate: Neurological symptoms include lethargy, hypotonia, weak reflexes, seizures, and difficulty breathing or feeding. Long-term neurological impairment is possible.
• Stage 3 Severe: Infants may be unresponsive, flaccid, and unable to breathe independently. Here, there is a high risk of permanent damage, multi-organ dysfunction, cerebral palsy, or fatalities.

HIE can result in lifelong disabilities. Common results of HIE birth injuries in San Antonio include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Developmental delay
• Intellectual disability
• Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• Motor skill impairment and spasticity
• Vision or hearing loss
• Feeding and swallowing disorders

Shaken Baby Syndrome and Other Abusive Head Trauma in Children

Medical experts almost universally attribute Shaken Baby Syndrome to physical abuse. The resulting injuries to children often include subdural hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage, swelling, skull fractures, and neurological damage.

Parents may pursue legal action when abusive head trauma occurs due to negligence, failure to protect, or institutional misconduct. Personal injury claims may arise in situations involving:

• Caregiver negligence: Failure to properly supervise staff, inadequate background checks, or ignoring warning signs of abuse.
• School or institutional liability: Failure to report suspected physical abuse, negligent supervision, or allowing known dangers to persist.
• Third-party caregiver abuse: Claims against individuals who intentionally harmed the child, along with potential negligent entrustment or supervision claims against responsible parties.
• Medical malpractice: Failure to recognize, diagnose, or timely report signs of abusive head trauma, resulting in delayed treatment and worsened neurological injury.

Filing a personal injury lawsuit allows families to seek justice and compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation, long-term care, pain and suffering, and future financial losses. Contacting a San Antonio child brain injury attorney for legal representation is critical to secure evidence, expert testimony, and institutional records needed to establish liability and protect the child’s long-term interests.

Penetrating Head Trauma in Children

The most common causes of penetrating head trauma in children are motor vehicle accidents, acts of violence, and unsafe environments. Penetrating head trauma often leads to long-term problems and disabilities. Parents may file personal injury claims when a child sustains head trauma from negligence or recklessness. This can include personal injury cases involving:

• Property owners who fail to secure hazards or allow dangerous conditions
• Manufacturers of defective toys, equipment, or other products
• Negligent doctors who fail to diagnose, treat, or monitor penetrating head injuries when delayed care worsens the child’s outcome
• Individuals whose reckless, intentional actions, or negligent supervision caused the child’s head injury

Second Impact Syndrome in Children (Malignant Cerebral Edema)

Second Impact Syndrome in children, also called malignant cerebral edema, happens when secondary injury occurs before the child recovers from the primary injury. The secondary pediatric head trauma triggers rapid brain swelling, increased intracranial pressure, and can result in catastrophic neurological damage or death. Our San Antonio child brain injury attorneys often see secondary impact syndrome in very young children playing sports.

Parents may pursue personal injury claims when a child’s injury results from negligence, including:

• Athletic programs for failing to follow concussion protocols
• Doctors who don’t provide a proper diagnosis or monitor the child’s recovery
• Caregivers, when oversight leads to preventable secondary head trauma

Pediatric Anoxic Brain Injury

Children’s anoxic brain injuries are severe injuries caused by a lack of oxygen. The most common causes include cardiac arrest, drowning, suffocation, or respiratory failure. Unlike traumatic brain injuries caused by physical impact, anoxic injuries occur when oxygen supply is interrupted. The extent of damage depends on how long the brain is deprived of oxygen and can result in permanent impairment, deficits in motor skills, seizures, coma, or lifelong neurological disability. A San Antonio anoxic brain injury lawyer can help file a personal injury claim when the child’s brain injury is caused by drowning, pediatric, or OBGYN malpractice in San Antonio.