Physiological Responses of the Newborn, Infant, and Child to Neurosurgical Trauma

Abstract

Children and adults are very different in anatomy and physiology. These differences are of critical importance in dealing with how they respond to central nervous system injury. Clinicians who are tasked with managing children need to understand the changing physiological profiles with age and how their patho-physiology differs as a consequence. This is important not only for the proper assessment and management of patients who present to us with neurotrauma but also for the patients in whom we inflict trauma by neurosurgery.