Acquired pediatric brain damage (APBD) refers to harm or insult to the brain sustained after birth (i.e., occurring in childhood or adolescence) that follows a period of typical development. APBD is the leading cause of death and disability among children and adolescents in the United States. The causes, severity, potential developmental and intellectual consequences, and long-term outcomes of APBD are quite diverse. Generally, APBD is understood as either “traumatic,” meaning it is caused by a physical force from outside the head (e.g., damage to the brain suffered from a fall or motor vehicle accident), or “nontraumatic,” meaning it results from some cause other than a form of trauma (e.g., damage caused by a brain infection, environmental toxin exposure, stroke, or brain tumor).

APBD is a broad ...