IMeurodevelopmental Outcomes of Early Brain Injury: A Follow-Up of Fourteen Case

A previous study reported the results of a 3^2-month interdisciplinary early intervention effort with 17 preschoolers with either congenital (n = 10) or acquired (n — 7) brain injury. Findings for both groups were somewhat optimistic, though tentative. This report is a 2-year follow-up of 14 of the 17 original cases that examines and compares the developmental patterns and status of children with congenital versus acquired brain insult. Contrary to expectations, children with congenital impairments exhibit greater progress when compared with the acquired impairment group. Differences and similarities between groups are discussed, as well as program variables that might account for the progress of both groups and the differential progress of the congenitally impaired children. Number of days enrolled in early childhood education programming, frequency of therapy services, and parental involvement were related to progress; and insufficient program involvement was related to the two cases of developmental regression. Advances in medical technology offer mixed blessings. Infants and preschoolers who are saved from death often sustain severe and per-vasive dysfunction. Young children who experience traumatic brain insults are an especially relevant example. Infants less than 6 months old suffer the highest death rate among motor vehicle accident victims (9 per 100,000) (Raimondi & Hirschauer, 1986). However, significant num-bers of these young children now survive their injuries; but "the younger the child the greater the damage to the brain from blunt trauma&quot