Incidence and prevalence of acquired brain injury in children and young people globally: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
5 affiliations
- 1Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- 2Nottingham NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- 3NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- 4Centre for Rehabilitation & Ageing Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- 5Division of Nursing Science, Pregnancy and Child Health, School of Healthcare, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Abstract
Introduction: Acquired brain injury refers to any injury or damage to the brain post-birth. It is considered a silent epidemic due to late or missed diagnosis, despite continued interaction with healthcare and longer-term impacts. There is a paucity of robust contemporary evidence that quantifies the population burden of childhood acquired brain injuries. This study aims to estimate the global burden of childhood acquired brain injury by pooling estimates of incidence and prevalence overall, by subtype, and by severity. We will assess variation by time, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and geography. Methods & analyses: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Scopus publication databases will be searched. Eligible studies will have acquired brain injury incidence or prevalence data on 0–18-year-old individuals within a defined general population-based group from the year 2000 onward. Study design, acquired brain injury and baseline characteristics will be extracted, and quality will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted to pool incidence and prevalence. To assess heterogeneity where there is sufficient data availability, subgroup meta-analyses and a meta-regression will be performed by time, age, sex, ethnicity, health/clinical factors, preexisting conditions, socioeconomic factors, country or geographic region. Ethics & dissemination: No formal ethics approval is needed due to no primary data collection. Dissemination will be through peer-reviewed publication and contribution to a PhD thesis developing the utility of routinely collected healthcare data to study acquired brain injury. Results will quantify the burden of childhood acquired brain injury by providing a comprehensive synthesis of global data, identifying geographical disparities and data gaps. This review will be beneficial to healthcare professionals and policymakers. Registration with PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD420250654936).
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BibTeX
@article{orchard2026incidence,
title = {{Incidence and prevalence of acquired brain injury in children and young people globally: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol}},
author = {Sophie Orchard and Kate Radford and Joseph C. Manning and Rachel Keetley and Laila J. Tata},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0357762},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357762},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Incidence and prevalence of acquired brain injury in children and young people globally: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
AU - Sophie Orchard
AU - Kate Radford
AU - Joseph C. Manning
AU - Rachel Keetley
AU - Laila J. Tata
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0357762
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357762
AB - Introduction: Acquired brain injury refers to any injury or damage to the brain post-birth. It is considered a silent epidemic due to late or missed diagnosis, despite continued interaction with healthcare and longer-term impacts. There is a paucity of robust contemporary evidence that quantifies the population burden of childhood acquired brain injuries. This study aims to estimate the global burden of childhood acquired brain injury by pooling estimates of incidence and prevalence overall, by subtype, and by severity. We will assess variation by time, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and geography. Methods & analyses: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Scopus publication databases will be searched. Eligible studies will have acquired brain injury incidence or prevalence data on 0–18-year-old individuals within a defined general population-based group from the year 2000 onward. Study design, acquired brain injury and baseline characteristics will be extracted, and quality will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted to pool incidence and prevalence. To assess heterogeneity where there is sufficient data availability, subgroup meta-analyses and a meta-regression will be performed by time, age, sex, ethnicity, health/clinical factors, preexisting conditions, socioeconomic factors, country or geographic region. Ethics & dissemination: No formal ethics approval is needed due to no primary data collection. Dissemination will be through peer-reviewed publication and contribution to a PhD thesis developing the utility of routinely collected healthcare data to study acquired brain injury. Results will quantify the burden of childhood acquired brain injury by providing a comprehensive synthesis of global data, identifying geographical disparities and data gaps. This review will be beneficial to healthcare professionals and policymakers. Registration with PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD420250654936).
SN - 1932-6203
ER -