There are certain types of head injuries that can cause trauma to the brain with such force that it may result in a fatal injury, or leave the sufferer with some form of brain damage. Closed head brain injuries, often diagnosed as “blunt force trauma” or “shaken baby syndrome” are those types of injuries.
With a closed head type of brain injury, the head is struck by an instrument that does not penetrate the skull, or the head is shaken in such a way that causes the brain to move about the skull in such a violent manner, causing injury. Open head brain injuries, on the other hand, is where an object striking the head penetrates the skull and impacts with the brain, causing damage. The closed head brain injury is the type of brain injury that is considered to be the leading cause of fatal brain trauma in children under four, and accounts for about 75% of an estimated 1.7 million annual brain trauma injuries in the United States. These types of brain injuries range from mild to severe, and can affect the entire brain or only certain portions of it. For more information on closed head brain trauma, see BrainandSpinalCord.org.
The primary causes of closed head brain injuries are auto accidents, slip and falls, assaults where the victim is struck in the head with a blunt instrument, and sports related injuries, to name a few. Slip and fall closed head brain injuries amongst children four years of age and under, and older adults 75 years and older account for about 35% of such injuries, and demographics indicate that boys and men are at a higher risk. Percussion injuries from explosives are also within the category of closed head injuries for veterans returning from war zones.
The following is a list of the certain types of closed head brain trauma that are most common:
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