Symptoms of Concussions Persist in Young Children Three Months Later

Concussions in children aged six and under continue to affect their health three months after the event. This is the finding of a study led by Miriam Beauchamp, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Université de Montréal and researcher at Sainte-Justine hospital.

Using a new measurement tool for young children, Beauchamp and her team demonstrated that early childhood concussions cause significantly elevated post-concussive symptoms that are not attributable solely to the general effects of the injury.

The three-month-post-event effects include known concussion symptoms such as headache, nausea, balance problems and drowsiness, but also behavioural symptoms unique to this age group, such as excessive irritability, increased crying and comfort-seeking.