Early developmental, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes following abusive head trauma in infants

Background: Developmental delays following pediatric abusive head trauma are common. Objective: To assess early developmental, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes following infant abusive head trauma and evaluate injury severity and early therapeutic intervention as potential predictors. Participants and setting: Infants under 12 months old who were admitted to a large pediatric hospital with abusive head trauma between October 2010 and October 2017 and followed at a multidisciplinary post-injury clinic were included. Methods: Injury severity groups were classified based on days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Participation in early intervention services and/or physical or occupational therapy by the first clinic visit was documented. Development was assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, which 47 patients completed at approximately 6 month intervals up to 3 years of age (an average of 19 months post-injury). Behavior and quality of life were assessed around age 2 using the Child Behavior Checklist (n = 24) and PedsQL (TM) (n = 27), respectively. Results: Overall cognitive development, fine motor function, and expressive language significantly declined with age up to 3 years (p < 0.05). The changes in these developmental scales with age differed significantly between injury severity groups (p < 0.05). Internalizing behaviors were also greater in patients with moderate than mild injuries (t = 2.37, p = 0.037). Quality of life was comparable to healthy populations. Early therapeutic intervention was not significantly associated with developmental, behavioral, or quality of life outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Long-term comprehensive follow-up is recommended for children following abusive head trauma, as developmental delays and behavioral problems may present at later ages.