Although concussion is common in early childhood, the frequency of persisting symptoms after concussion (PSaC) has been poorly characterized. To address this, a study evaluated the rate and predictors of PSaC in children aged 6 months to under 6 years with concussion (n=235), compared with children with orthopedic injuries (OI; n=108) and uninjured children (n=75). At one month after injury, PSaC were observed in 28% of children with concussion, compared with 10% in the OI group and 2% among uninjured children.
Persisting symptoms continued in 24% of children at 3 months and 16% at 12 months following concussion. Total symptom burden documented in the emergency department (ED) predicted PSaC at one month, whereas age, loss of consciousness, brain imaging in the ED, daycare or school attendance, and parental education were not predictive. These findings indicate that persisting symptoms…
