Every nine seconds someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. When that someone is an infant or child, Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is there to help.
“Brain injury is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells and may result from external trauma such as accidents or falls, or from internal factors, such as strokes, infections, or metabolic disorders,” says Totally Kids Director of Rehabilitation Dr. Kristen Gordon. “Now, during the National Brain Injury Awareness Month, it is important to know that while the symptoms and complications of brain injuries vary greatly, recovery from brain damage is often possible, especially with the modern rehabilitation programs and specialized care provided at Totally Kids.”
Dr. Gordon says that the earlier therapy begins for a child after a brain injury, the greater the potential for recovery. “The developing brain has remarkable neuroplasticity, meaning it can adapt and reorganize itself as children learn and practice new skills. Through early, consistent intervention and family involvement, children have greater opportunities to regain abilities, build new pathways for learning, and continue progressing toward independence.”
Depending on the individual child and their singular needs, children with brain injuries may be cared for in Totally Kids’s acute or subacute rehabilitation units. In the acute rehab unit, the focus is on regaining function and independence after an injury. To help achieve this, a highly-trained interdisciplinary team develops an action plan for each child involving a number of modalities and specialists. For example, physical therapy focuses on gross motor functional mobility including getting in and out of bed, moving from bed to chair, shower/tub, walking indoors/outdoors, navigating the environment, stairs, wheelchair mobility, and balance throughout all activity. Occupational therapy focuses on regaining and strengthening fine motor skills for daily living and self-care activities such as dressing, grooming, toileting, bathing, and self-feeding. Speech therapy focuses on swallow function, expressive and receptive language, cognition, memory, problem solving, and social emotional skills.
“By all these professionals working together in one smooth rhythm, the goal is to return the child to his or her prior level of function or teach compensatory strategies to gain independence in mobility, self-care and cognition with the least amount of assistance, devices, or accommodation,” says Dr. Gordon.
Children with more chronic conditions and in need of long-term care are cared for in the hospital’s renowned subacute unit where the focus is on developmental milestones and play skills. There, play-based therapy is used to encourage engagement and retention of new skills. Standard durable medical equipment is provided including devices families might utilize at home. There are also opportunities for group therapy where children interact and learn from each other while sensory-rich activities, including music therapy and aromatherapy, are often incorporated to enhance participation and engagement.
“We meet the child where he/she is at and work towards the next step,” says Dr. Gordon. “The earlier the intervention, the more likely we are to see recovery and progress--but it's a marathon, not a sprint, and requires dedicated rehabilitation to harness the brain's incredible ability to heal and adapt.”
National Brain Injury Awareness Month, led by the Brain Injury Association of America, is held each March to educate the public, reduce stigma of what is often referred to as an “invisible injury” and support the over 5.3 million Americans living with permanent brain injuries. It also helps promote key prevention methods including wearing seatbelts and using protective equipment in sports and recreational activities.
About Totally Kids
For more than 50 years Totally Kids has been a national leader in providing personalized rehabilitation and habilitation services for children with a family-centered emphasis. Programs include acute pediatric rehabilitation, subacute care for children with clinically complex conditions, the innovative “Totally Infants Program” for the care of infants who are ready to transition from a NICU but not yet ready to go home and Circlebrook Intermediate Care for medically fragile children. Visit totallykids.com to learn more!