There has been the thought in the scientific community that children are not as vulnerable to the long-term effects of a brain injury as adults are. Recent studies published in Pediatrics found that this may not be the case, and children who suffer severe traumatic brain injuries could have troubles with intellectual, social and behavioral development for years to come.

Most of the kids' traumatic brain injuries had been suffered in car accidents, pedestrian accidents or falls. The studies found that when the injury was mild, such as a short fall, the kids recovered fairly quickly and well. When the brain injury was severe, however, the injury's effects caused the children to lag behind in development when compared with their peers for up to three years.

The study authors found that the children were more likely to have issues in their intellectual development if they were from a family with low socioeconomic status. The authors found that the combination of parents being both highly stressed and minimally involved in the child's life led to more problems with cognitive development.

Children are more likely to fall than adults because they are still learning how to balance. Children can easily fall down stairs or onto sharp furniture edges.

Source: CNN, "Severe traumatic brain injury affects development in young children," Caitlin Hagan, Jan. 23, 2012