Sustaining a brain injury can have a significant effect on a person’s life, as well as on the lives of their family and loved ones. Each May, organisations like Child Brain Injury Trust and Headway UK (the brain injury association) use Action for Brain Injury (ABI) Week to raise greater awareness of the issues faced by individuals and families affected by brain injury, promote understanding, and encourage support from the wider public, organisations, and policymakers.
Raising Awareness of Child Brain Injury
This year’s campaign is shining a light on the often-unseen experience and isolation families deal with after a childhood acquired brain injury. It aims to bring those experiences into the open, raise awareness, encourage conversation, and remind families they’re not the only ones navigating this.
The Child Brain Injury Trust highlights the importance of this campaign, noting that in the UK, a child or young person acquires a brain injury every 15 minutes. They are using ABI Week as the opportunity to raise visibility, reduce stigma, and champion the support that “turns trauma into hope”. Together with Headway, they are working to ensure that “every voice is heard, whether it’s a young person’s, a parent’s, a teacher’s, or a professional’s”.
You can also look out for the various landmarks across the UK that will be taking part in “Light Up for ABI Week” on Friday, 22 May 2026, to help raise awareness of Acquired Brain Injury Week. You can join in by taking a picture of them when they are lit up and sharing your pictures across social media to help raise awareness. Tag the Child Brain Injury Trust UK in your posts and use the hashtag #LightUpForABIWeek.
What is an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)?
Understanding what an acquired brain injury is helps frame the importance of these awareness efforts. Any damage to the brain that happens after birth is referred to as an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), and various causes, including accidents, strokes, infections, and tumours, can cause this damage. There are two main types of ABI, which include traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries, and both of these can have profound and lasting effects on cognitive, physical, and emotional abilities. ABIs can also occur during pregnancy or childbirth due to birth injury medical negligence. When an ABI happens during pregnancy or labour, the two main categories include:
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
This is linked to physical force, during childbirth, which could mean:
- forceps or ventouse being used incorrectly
- a prolonged or complicated delivery
- delays in moving to a C-section
Non-traumatic brain injury (NTBI)
This happens internally, which could be due to:
- lack of oxygen during labour
- infection during pregnancy
- placental or umbilical cord complications
- conditions like preeclampsia
Why Raising Awareness Matters
Awareness campaigns like ABI Week highlight not just diagnoses and treatment but life after injury. This year’s theme, “Isolation after Acquired Brain Injury”, does just that. A brain injury isn’t always visible; it can affect people physically, cognitively and emotionally, symptoms that others don’t immediately see. The Child Brain Injury Trust talks about the “struggles and strengths” families experience in the aftermath of a child brain injury and during recovery, because both exist, often side by side.
Was It Preventable? – Acquired Child Brain Injury and Medical Negligence
Not every brain injury at birth is preventable, but it is natural to have questions about care, decisions, and whether something could have been done differently. You may be left wondering whether warning signs were missed, whether intervention was delayed, or whether anyone really listened to your concerns at the time.
If something about your pregnancy, the birth of your child, or your child’s early care doesn’t seem right, it is okay to revisit it and have your questions answered.
Seeking the advice and guidance of a specialised personal injury lawyer with experience in brain injury cases, such as our highly skilled team at The Personal Injury People, can help you understand your situation and the next steps. Our team will review your circumstances, explain your legal rights, and advise whether you may have grounds to make a compensation claim. Read our previous blog on understanding brain injuries and your compensation rights. Learn more about some of our recent cases.
Our team is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to those affected by birth injuries. We understand the complex medical and legal issues that arise in these cases and have the expertise and resources to navigate them successfully.
Call our specialist personal injury team today on 0800 731 7555 or complete the enquiry form to get in touch.
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This article is not intended to be taken as advice or acted upon, and information may have changed since publication.