NORTHAMPTON, England, May 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Every half hour in the UK a child will acquire a brain injury creating a need for more facilities for care and rehabilitation and greater awareness of the risk factors according to the Child Brain Injury Trust and leading mental health charity St Andrew's Healthcare.
There are over 100,000 brain injury admissions to hospitals in England alone each year. Of these two thirds are male and 30 per cent are children under 15 years of age. Injury commonly results from road traffic accidents, including those involving pedestrians and cyclists and assaults or falls many of which involve drugs and alcohol. But brain injury is also caused by a range of lesser known risks including infections such as meningitis, poisoning, near drowning and brain tumours.
The Child Brain Injury Trust is working with St Andrew's Healthcare to raise awareness of the measures children and young people can take to reduce the risks of this happening to them.
St Andrew's Healthcare is also launching the first dedicated service for adolescents with challenging behaviour following a brain injury - The Acquired Brain Injury Service for Young People. The new residential rehabilitation unit will facilitate the recovery of young people with acquired brain injury who as a result experience emotional difficulties and challenging behaviour in addition to physical problems.
Lisa Turan, CEO of the Child Brain Injury Trust said: It is vital that young people receive the right rehabilitation after brain injury and there is an acute shortage of facilities in this country.
Notes to Editors
Dr Sally Cubbin Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Brain Injury Centre and Lisa Turan, CEO of CBIT are available for interviews on the first day of Brain Injury Awareness Week, Monday 17th May.
Reducing the risk of brain injury can be helped by the following actions:
- Always wear a helmet when cycling, skateboarding, riding a horse or motorbike - Don't climb walls/jump of ledges without supervision and the correct equipment - Never play on building sites - Avoid drugs and alcohol - Road safety - never play chicken - Never run around swimming pools - Don't swing back on chairs
The brain is fragile like an egg with a hard shell and a soft inside.
The effects of brain injury can include:
- Reduced ability to think and learn e.g. forgetfulness and poor attention - Impaired vision, sense of touch and smell - Weakness, tremor, stiffness and tight muscles - Poor ability to relate to others - Behavioural difficulties and personality change - Communication problems
SOURCE: St Andrew's Healthcare
CONTACT: For more information or to arrange an interview contact: SelwynRowley at LMMC on T +44-(0)1926-611700 or email selwyn@lmmc.co.uk
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