Does Gender Matter? Differences in Social-Emotional Behavior Among Infants and Toddlers Before and After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Study. (June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaldoja, Mari-Liis; Kolk, Anneli
• Is Part Of: Journal of child neurology. Volume 30:Number 7(2015:Jun.)
• Page Start: 860
• Page End: 867
• Publication Date: 2015-06
• Subjects: childhood mild traumatic brain injury -- social-emotional behavior -- gender differences -- risk factors -- interaction skills.; Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.928
• DOI: 10.1177/0883073814544705
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-0738

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury is a common cause of acquired disability in childhood. While much is known about cognitive sequelae of brain trauma, gender-specific social-emotional problems in children with mild traumatic brain injury is far less understood. The aims of the study were to investigate gender differences in social-emotional behavior before and after mild traumatic brain injury. Thirty-five 3- to 65-month-old children with mild traumatic brain injury and 70 controls were assessed with Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional. Nine months later, 27 of 35 patients and 54 of 70 controls were reassessed. We found that before injury, boys had more self-regulation and autonomy difficulties and girls had problems with adaptive functioning. Nine months after injury, boys continued to struggle with self-regulation and autonomy and new difficulties with interaction had emerged, whereas in girls, problems in interaction had evolved. Even mild traumatic brain injury in early childhood disrupts normal social-emotional development having especially devastating influence on interaction skills.