Abstract: Objective: To explore the effects of early rehabilitation care based on the symptom management model in children with moderate to severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and to provide evidence for clinical practice. Methods: A total of 85 children with moderate to severe TBI admitted to the neurosurgery department of a tertiary grade A children's hospital in Jiangxi province from January 2024 to December 2025 were conveniently selected. Children were assigned to the control group (42 cases) or the intervention group (43 cases) according to their admission orders. The control group received routine care, while the children in the intervention group received early rehabilitation care based on the symptom management model. The initiation time of rehabilitation intervention, length of hospital stay, motor function, muscle tone, and parental care ability were compared between the two groups. Results: The initiation time of rehabilitation intervention in the intervention group was significantly earlier than that of the control group [(36.47±8.62) h vs (89.34±15.76) h], and the length of hospital stay was shorter (all P<0.05). At 14 days after the intervention, the intervention group had higher Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores and lower Modified Ashworth Scale scores than those of the control group (all P<0.05). The overall complication rate in the intervention group (23.3%) was significantly lower than that in the control group (61.9%) (P<0.05). Conclusion: Early rehabilitation nursing for children with moderate to severe TBI can improve motor function and shorten the length of hospital stay, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

Key words: Traumatic Brain Injury; symptom management; children; early rehabilitation