The study aimed to assess the social and developmental effects of a mild head injury on 47 young children aged under five years. The group was compared to groups of children who'd had an orthopaedic injury (e.g. a fractured bone) or no injury.

Six months after the injury, researchers observed the child and their parents during 45 minutes of play or other activities, and rated the interactions among the head injury group as significantly poorer than the no injury group. There were no differences from the orthopaedic group.

There are several limitations to this study, including lack of observation prior to the accident to compare against. We also do not know whether these score differences have any meaningful implications for the child's long-term development, particularly given that the parent's reported no change in their interactions with their child.

Parents should not be overly concerned by these findings. However, they know their child best and if they think a head injury could be having longer-term effects on their child, they should seek medical advice.