Intracranial Injury after a Dog Attack in a Neonate

Abstract

Dog bites are a common event, especially in the pediatric population. Common anatomic site of dog bites is the head. Despite this, intracranial injuries due to dog bites are reported anecdotally, especially in neonates. We report a 7-day-old female neonate attacked in the head by the family dog. She presented penetrating bilateral intracranial injuries that required urgent surgery and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. She received rabies and tetanus prophylaxis, wide-spectrum antibiotic, and anticonvulsive prophylaxis. She was hospitalized in PICU for 9 days, developing intracranial hypertension. One year after the dog bite, she showed moderate psychomotor retardation and focal epilepsy.