What is an acquired brain injury?
ABI – Acquired brain injury is an umbrella term for describing an injury to the brain that happens after birth, after a period of normal development.
Children may acquire a brain injury from any of the following events:
- • Traumatic injury (TBI) to the brain caused by falls, road accidents (as a
pedestrian or passenger), sports injuries, non-accidental injury (shaken baby),
near drowning etc.
- Illness such as stroke, brain tumour or epilepsy
- Metabolic disorders such as liver or kidney or diabetic coma
- Infections such as meningitis or encephalitis
- Medical procedures such as surgery for removal of a tumour, or the effect of drugs or radiation to treat leukemia or similar.
The key point is that it is an injury to the brain after a period of normal development; the child was not born with the injury but acquired neurological injuries after birth. The injury can change the way a person thinks, feels and responds to the world around them.
