In response to the reportedly growing health concern for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among children in China, two new studies have been conducted to examine pediatric TBIs treated at the Wuhan Children’s Hospital from the years 2002 to 2011. Researchers of the International Program at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and the Wuhan Children’s Hospital conducted the studies, according to a recent news release.
The aim of the first study, appearing in PLOS ONE, was to investigate the causes, characteristics, and trends of pediatric TBIs in China. The results indicate that falls, struck by/against objects, and traffic collision ranked among the top external causes of TBI. The results also suggest that 6% of all TBIs among children under age 2 were caused by suspected child abuse. The findings of this first study, researchers say, led to a second study, which appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The second study targeted abuse-related TBIs among children in China.
The collaboration with Wuhan Children’s Hospital is one of several that the International Program at the Center for Injury Research and Policy has established, with the ultimate goal of decreasing the burden of injury morbidity. Huiyun Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, add that, “The successful collaboration with Wuhan Children’s Hospital is a testament to their leaders’ dedication and commitment to promotion academic excellence and innovation in clinical care.”
Jianbo Shao, MD, vice president, Research and Training at Wuhan Children’s Hospital, echoes Xiang’s sentiments and reports, “We cherish the relationship with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and look forward to more collaboration in scientific research and clinical training between the two organizations.”
The studies are each available online.
[Source: Nationwide Children’s Hospital]
