Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in an Indigenous Child from the Western Amazon Following a Collision Between Two Canoes – A Case Report

Abstract

Head trauma is a leading cause of mortality in children in developing countries, often resulting from motor vehicle or motorcycle accidents. The Amazon region, however, presents unique characteristics. Here, one of the primary modes of transportation is canoes, wooden vessels designed for river travel. This paper describes a case involving a two-year-old indigenous child from the Mundurucu ethnic group, residing in the municipality of Borba in the Amazonas State. The child was involved in a collision between two canoes, suffering severe head trauma as the bow of a canoe penetrated the frontal region of the skull.