An 11 month old child hit his head. What to do if the child fell and hit the back of the head

Hello dear readers. When a child begins to walk, he cannot be completely protected from falls, you can try to ensure his safety by removing all dangerous objects and corners in the path of the little one. However, you cannot completely protect the child from possible injuries. Do not forget that at first the baby will only master the movement in an upright position, so he may fall without maintaining balance, later - his movements will not yet be sufficiently coordinated, so falls are also possible. And what can we say about outdoor games, when the baby can run, stumble and hit his head. Therefore, it is important to know when the child hit his head, what to look for, what symptoms in the behavior of the little one can be considered alarming, and how to provide first aid.

Is there a danger?

There are cases when children under one year old fell out of bed, changing tables, fell out of the stroller. Moms with horror carried their little one to the hospital. But is the fall dangerous for the baby, as we think? The peanut still has unextended fontanelles on its head, it is their presence that absorbs the blow without causing much harm to its owner. In addition, in babies up to two months of age, there is still a sufficient amount of fluid in the head. This prevents serious injury.

Although there are quite serious factors that contribute to the formation of a severe injury after a fall. Therefore, it is important to know what symptoms in the behavior of the little ones after a head injury may indicate a serious development of events and possible problems, and you should also be able to provide first aid. After all, cases are not so rare when a mother unknowingly tries to help a baby, but only makes it worse, contributes to the development of complications after hitting her head.

Anxiety symptoms

General change in the well-being of the baby.
Strong crying that does not stop for a long time (longer than 15 minutes).
Severe headache, dizziness, fainting.
General weakness, drowsiness.
The occurrence of a convulsive state, paralysis of the arms or legs.
Severe nausea, vomiting.
Bleeding from the site of injury.
Discharge of a clear color or protrusion of blood from the senses.
Hemorrhages in the eyeball.
Asymmetric pupils (difference in size).
Noise in ears.
Loss of appetite or its complete absence.
Poor sleep with frequent waking up in an anxious state.
Pale skin surface.
Bluishness under the eyes.
Fast or slow pulse.

If at least one symptom appears, it is urgent to go to the clinic or call a doctor, an ambulance at home. Such symptoms, as a rule, indicate the presence of CMP. Therefore, it is better not to aggravate the process with your inaction, but to get a doctor's prescription as soon as possible and give the baby specialized care.

Possible consequences of falling and hitting the head

Despite the unhealed fontanelles, the bones of the skull are still quite fragile and have not completely fused, therefore, serious injury after hitting the head during a fall is not excluded.

If a child is diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, then it has the following classification:

Open. A condition in which the mother can visually observe protruding fragments of bones from the surface of the baby's head is characterized by a violation of the integrity of the skin.
Closed. With this injury, the damage affects only the brain and, as a rule, does not affect the structure of the bones of the skull and does not violate the integrity of the skin of the head.

Closed CMPs are represented by such brain damage:

Injury. Areas of destruction of the substance of the brain appear. Prolonged fainting is characteristic, possibly a violation of respiratory and cardiac activity.
Shake. The structure of the medulla remains intact. Characterized by temporary fainting, nausea, vomiting, possible blanching of the skin, drowsiness, lack of appetite, disturbing sleep.
Compression. Accompanying an injury. Occurs due to fragments of the bones of the skull or ruptures in the vascular system of the head.

First aid

Most often on the forums, parents ask the question, the child hit his forehead, what should I do? Often the baby falls and injures this particular part of the head. Although blows to the back of the head and even to the temple are not uncommon. The latter are especially dangerous. Let's look at what the parents should do if the baby fell and hit his head.

First of all, you should inspect the little one for possible damage. It is important to remain calm. Ask your child about what is bothering him. Children who cannot speak can point to the place where it hurts.

If the child hit his forehead and a bump formed at the site of the blow, then first you need a cold compress. If you use ice in any form, be sure to wrap it with a cloth to prevent the development of a burn from the cold. Hold the ice for at least four minutes. This procedure will prevent the formation of severe edema and hematoma or slow down this process.
If after a blow to the head the appearance of a bleeding wound is characteristic, it is necessary to moisten a cotton swab, for example, in hydrogen peroxide and blot the wound with it. This will help disinfect damaged skin. If there is prolonged bleeding, lasting more than 10 minutes, this is a rather alarming signal, you better call an ambulance.
In cases where, after a fall and a blow to the head, the child has no visible injuries, it is necessary to carefully monitor the behavior and condition of the baby for three to four days. If anxiety symptoms appear, see a doctor.
Measure the baby's pulse. If bradycardia or tachycardia is characteristic, this is an occasion to consult a doctor.
Make sure the pupils are the same. If this is not the case, it is better to call a doctor.
Remember, parents, when providing first aid, should not give analgesics, this can blur the picture for making the correct diagnosis when examining a child by an ambulance doctor.
After hitting the head, especially if the child hits the temple, do not let him fall asleep. Because of this, a holistic picture of the possible occurrence of symptoms will be missed. In addition, sleep after such an injury can cause complications.
It is important after hitting the head to immobilize the baby. Now he needs rest, even if the injury is minor, it is better to play it safe.
It is recommended at night after the impact to wake up the little one to make sure that everything is in order with his coordination and there are no complications.

My son, at the age of six, fell while playing in the yard, hit the back of his head. It happened because another boy pushed my son (it happened so unexpectedly that I didn’t even have time to react), and my baby flew off onto a stone wall. At the site of injury, blood came out, an abrasion formed. I took my son in my arms to immobilize him, and went up with him home. Well, at least they were in front of the house, a stone's throw from the entrance. I treated the wound with hydrogen peroxide, applied a bandage folded in several layers and bandaged the head. As it turned out, the scratch was insignificant, just the outer layer of the skin was peeling off. The child's condition was absolutely normal, there were no complaints. Just in case, I called the pediatrician, she said to observe his behavior for four days. If there are changes, go to the clinic. Luckily, we got it right.

Measures to prevent possible falls

If a new stage of physical activity has begun in your baby's life (the child has begun to sit, crawl, walk, run), you need to take care of his safety by removing all dangerous places in the room.
Never leave the baby unattended if he is lying on the bed, table. Even a toddler who has just begun to roll over from his back to his tummy can fall.
If you are walking outdoors, make sure that the baby is fixed in the stroller, especially if he already knows how to sit.
If you are using a walker, it is best to keep your child in sight as well.
The kid can simply slip while walking on the floor. Get special socks or slippers for him, with rubber inserts on the sole.
Never worry about the fact that the little one may sooner or later fall and be injured. So you only once again violate your psyche, your feelings are transmitted to the baby, and he also begins to get nervous. But in your case, maybe nothing will happen.

Never forget that our children are active from birth, it just manifests itself in varying degrees. It is better if the child avoids falls, but since no one is safe from them, remember that not all cases of falling and hitting the head on a hard surface indicate a traumatic brain injury. The main thing is that there is no need to panic if a blow occurs, gather your thoughts and act according to the first aid plan.

The child hit his head - when should you see a doctor, and in what cases can you get by with applying a towel with ice? We will talk about this and the alarming symptoms in babies after falls below.

Why do babies hit their heads most often?

Mechanical trauma to the skull is one of the most common reasons why frightened parents turn to traumatology departments. This is by no means due to the children's "stupidity", but because of the special children's anatomy.

The fact is that in babies under the age of five, the head weighs about a quarter of the total body weight. Accordingly, when falling, it hits first. Since there is no self-preservation instinct yet and coordination is poorly developed, the baby does not put his hands in front of him in flight, hence the increased likelihood of a concussion and other troubles.

They save babies from severe head injuries when falling and “fontanelles” that do not grow up to a year, and a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranium, which can soften the fall.

Fortunately, most falls turn into only fright and bruises in children and spent nerves of parents. And yet, everyone should know the alarming signs in which it is necessary to provide the baby with first aid.

How to recognize the risk of impact?

When babies start crawling and then walking, they very often stumble, hit, fall (and often from a height greater than their height), as a result of which bumps, abrasions, bruises and bruises appear on the head. How exactly can you recognize how dangerous this particular blow or bump is for the health of a fidget? Is it worth showing the child to a pediatrician, neurologist, or immediately go to the emergency department of traumatology?

Forehead injury

If, after falling or hitting an obstacle, the crumbs have a huge bump on their forehead, this is quite normal. Severe swelling is due to a large number of blood vessels bursting during mechanical trauma in the soft tissues of the skull. Hematomas on the forehead are most often round in shape, they quickly subside and stop bothering the fidget and his parents, in most cases they do not have serious consequences.

However, all this is true for older children, falling and hitting the baby’s head should not be left unattended - show the baby to the pediatrician, even if you think that there is no danger. An experienced doctor will examine the baby and reassure the parents.

Trauma to the back of the head

A blow to the back of the head is a serious reason to go to the emergency room of the pediatric traumatology department or to the pediatrician: often such injuries have quite serious consequences. And the younger the baby, the sooner you need to see a doctor, delay can cost the child his sight, because in the back of the skull there are nerve endings that connect the visual center of the brain and the eyeballs.

In addition to vision problems, the child may have impaired coordination of movements, develop a tremor. The probability of neurological deviations in development is high.

First aid for mechanical injuries of the skull

After a fall, do not hesitate, inspect the bruised area and assess the severity of the injury. Then provide first aid and, if necessary, call an ambulance. If the bump or cut on the head is very large and looks intimidating, take a photo of the wound on a mobile phone for the doctor (swelling of the soft tissues on the head can go away very quickly).

If a large bump or hematoma appears on the baby's head

Soothe the baby and apply a cold compress to the bruised area or just a bottle of cold water wrapped in a thin cloth. Hold the compress for five minutes and remove it for two to three minutes (to restore blood circulation). This will relieve some pain and stop internal bleeding. Then apply the compress again for five minutes. Repeat these steps for about 20-30 minutes - it is during this time that the final formation of the hematoma occurs.

If there is a bleeding abrasion on the forehead or back of the head

With a sterile cotton swab or a piece of bandage moistened with hydrogen peroxide, treat the abrasion, stop the blood by simply pressing a clean, dry bandage to the wound (you need to press lightly, for three to five minutes).

A child older than two years who will tolerate a slight tingle can be disinfected with rubbing alcohol, vodka, or washed with soap and water.

If the blood continues to flow, despite all the manipulations, call an ambulance.

If after the fall you did not find any damage

Behave as usual, calm the baby and caress him. Tirelessly observe his behavior - any oddities should alert you. The child may begin to act up, complain of headaches and nausea, get tired quickly and sleep unusually long - all these are alarm bells indicating a possible concussion or neurological problems.

If your child roars, complains of nausea and migraines, faints and is discoordinated after hitting his head, call an ambulance immediately.

How to behave if there is a slight suspicion of a concussion?

If the baby is old enough to explain his condition to his parents (he can tell where he hurts, that he is sick or dizzy), and you see no good reason to take him to the doctor, but doubts remain, just watch.

Immediately after the fall, soothe the baby and put it in bed, keep him busy with quiet games and stories, read a book. Explain that everything is in order, but now you need to lie down a little calmly.
Watch the baby for several hours for the appearance of alarming symptoms. At least three to four hours, do not let us fall asleep: in a dream, you can miss the worsening of the concussion.
If the child is very small, wake him up at night and monitor the coordination of movements.
Observe the fidget for three to four days: if no warning signs were noticed during this period, then the injury passed without complications.

Bad Signs in a Head Injury

Any bruised skull requires careful long-term monitoring of parents at home or doctors in a hospital. For reinsurance after an injury, if you decide to leave your baby at home, exclude his physical and mental stress: forbid reading, watching TV or playing computer. The exception is quiet classical music. In the event of the complications described below, show the baby to the pediatrician.

Anxiety symptoms after a blow to the frontal part of the skull

After hitting the forehead or falling face down, the crumbs may experience the following symptoms, indicating dangerous complications:

a depression (dent) on the forehead instead of the usual bump;
lump of abnormally large size;
vomiting and nausea;
dizziness, fainting;
uncontrollable crying, hysteria;
hard breath;
blanching of the skin of the face;
cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle;
enlarged pupils, the appearance of strabismus;
lethargy and lethargy;
difficulty speaking;
discoordination, stiffness of movements;
ear or nose bleeding.

If a child has at least one of these symptoms after hitting his head, call an ambulance immediately!

Lay the baby on a couch or bed on their back or side (for babies who cannot roll over on their own if they vomit) and do not give any medication on their own: this can make it very difficult for doctors to diagnose.

Anxiety symptoms after a blow to the back of the head

Occipital mechanical injuries can cause all of the above signs, as well as the following symptoms:

numbness of the limbs;
memory loss;
doubling of the image in the eyes;
loss of consciousness;
severe headaches and dizziness.

According to statistics, it is the occipital injuries of the skull that most often lead to a concussion, so they need to be taken seriously.

Toddlers fall back during the beginning of independent movement, with light pushes and loss of balance, while teenagers fall during fights, while rollerblading or regular skating. Older children should be made to wear a helmet to prevent injury.

Possible consequences

The head is one of the most important and vulnerable parts of our body, which is why skull injuries can have irreversible consequences that cause trouble for a lifetime. After hitting the head, the child must be observed. It is possible that he will become whiny, start to sleep poorly and learn school material worse.

The consequences of trauma to the frontal part of the skull

Injuries after a blow to the forehead are of several types:

Open - soft tissues and bones of the skull are damaged, the injury is accompanied by bleeding and loss of consciousness, pain shock. In these cases, immediate hospitalization is necessary.
Closed - soft tissue and bone are intact. There are varying degrees of severity and require different treatment tactics.

A contusion of the brain is a serious condition, usually accompanied by a prolonged loss of consciousness, nose or ear bleeding. There are bruises around the eyes, speech is difficult. One of the facial nerves responsible for facial expressions may be affected.
A concussion is a common condition that occurs after a severe trauma to the skull. It is characterized by vomiting and constant nausea, dizziness, cyanosis of the lips and pallor of the skin on the face. In some cases, these symptoms may not be present, but an unusually poor, restless restless night's sleep is a reason to see a doctor. With concussion put weekly bed rest with a minimum of brain activity.
Hematoma or bump, accompanied by swelling of the soft tissues. The baby does not cry for long, soon after the pain is eliminated, he calms down and forgets about the incident.

The consequences of trauma to the occipital part of the skull

In addition to the above complications, blows to the back of the head can give the following consequences:

distraction, inattention;
discoordination of movements on one side (usually on the one where the blow fell);
memory impairment;
insomnia;
the occurrence of persistent migraines.

How to avoid injury?

Never leave a baby on a sofa, bed without sides or a changing table - it can instantly fall. Plant better on the floor or in his crib.
If you are sitting on the couch with a baby, put a couple of large pillows on the floor - this will soften the fall in case of your oversight.
In a stroller or car seat, always fasten your baby with a seat belt.
When the child begins to learn to walk, a dense carpet will come to your aid - the legs do not slip on it, and falling is not so painful.
Get fidget socks with rubber pimples on the sole - this will make it easier for him to walk and prevent falls.
Encourage your child to wear a safety helmet while rollerblading, skating, cycling or scootering.
Protect your apartment as much as possible: buy rubber pads for sharp corners of furniture.

Parents should be aware that even the smallest children are in danger of falling off the couch or changing table. Therefore, it is imperative to protect the baby, and put pillows next to the sofa, or at least have a carpet on the floor.

But what to do if the baby fell to the floor and hit his head?

First and foremost- turn all your attention to the baby. Try to calm down and understand that the health of your child depends on the adequacy of your actions and the ability to soberly assess the situation. In no case should you look for someone to blame at this moment and start swearing, a stressful situation will only harm the child. So that he calms down sooner and you can check his condition, address him affectionately and with tenderness.

The skull of a child is extremely vulnerable, because the bones have not yet grown together and strengthened, and therefore can be easily damaged. Meanwhile, the head is exactly the place where the main blow falls, since in a baby it is quite heavy in relation to the body. And when falling, the first thing to do is to inspect the head for damage.

The child fell off the couch about 30 cm high

In this case, it is possible that a bump or bruise will appear on the baby's head. Be sure to watch his reaction. If in such a situation the baby cries for 10-15 minutes, and then calms down on its own and behaves as usual in the future, and no other signs appear, then you can not worry and do not seek medical help. But help the child.

First aid. Apply ice wrapped in several layers of a towel to the damaged area, make sure that it does not get too cold. This manipulation will help resolve the inflammation, but do not keep such a compress for longer than 10 minutes.

The child fell from the changing table with a height of more than 40 cm

In this case, several scenarios are possible.

The child faints, turns pale, sweats, or vomits. In this situation, a concussion is likely. You also need to look into the eyes of the baby in the light, assess the size of his pupils. If the pupils are of different sizes, sharply narrowed or dilated, then this is a very dangerous symptom. Also, with a concussion, the child can constantly cry, be very naughty and refuse to eat. Call an ambulance immediately.
First aid. While you are waiting for the doctor, the child should be laid on a hard surface on a barrel (so that the vomit does not enter the respiratory tract), it should not be applied to the chest or rocked in the arms. Do not let him fall asleep and do not force him to take painkillers before seeing a doctor. If there is blood from an abrasion, then it must be stopped with a dry, clean towel.
When receiving a severe head injury, there may be a prolonged loss of consciousness, the child may have breathing problems. With a fracture of the skull, bleeding from the nose and ears or the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid (clear liquid) may occur, bruising may appear under the eyes. But these signs usually do not appear immediately - it will take from one to two hours before the signs of a fracture appear.
First aid. Call an ambulance immediately if the child has lost consciousness after a fall, even for a few seconds. Very sensitively observe the condition of the child, so as not to miss if bleeding suddenly begins (within 2 hours). Don't let him sleep until the doctor arrives. Lay your baby on their back on a hard, flat surface. Do not allow the child to rock, do not apply it to the chest. You can apply a cold compress (a towel moistened with cold water) to the site of the bruise, if there is no swelling or damage to the soft tissues.

If the ambulance took the child to the hospital, then there you will need to contact a neurologist, a traumatologist and a neurosurgeon.

If necessary, in the same hospital you will be given a referral for an ultrasound, computed tomography or x-ray, if necessary.

And, of course, remember that it is easier to prevent trouble than to correct the consequences. Therefore, never leave the child alone on the changing table or on the couch. And may you not have such an emergency!

Anna Mironova

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The skull of a child is more fragile and vulnerable than that of an adult. Accordingly, the risk of serious injury increases significantly. Especially, in the 1st year of a baby's life, when the bones have not yet had time to grow together, and can easily be displaced by a blow. Toddlers fall out of strollers and cribs, roll off the changing table and just flop out of the blue. It’s good if everything ends up with a bump or abrasion, but what should mom do if the baby hit her head hard?

We process the bruise after hitting the child's head - the rules of first aid for a bump, wounds on the head.

If your baby hit his head, the most important thing is not to panic yourself and not scare the baby with your panic.

We soberly and calmly assess the condition of the crumbs: carefully shift the child to the bed and examine the head - are there visible injuries (hematomas or redness, abrasions on the forehead and head, bump, bleeding, swelling, dissection of soft tissues).
If the baby fell while you were flipping pancakes in the kitchen, ask the baby in detail- where he fell, how he fell and where he hit. Unless, of course, the baby is already able to speak.
When dropped from a significant height onto a hard surface(tile, concrete, etc.), do not waste time - immediately call an ambulance.
When falling on the carpet during the game, most likely, the worst thing that awaits the baby is a bump, but attentiveness does not hurt.
Reassure the child and do something to distract- Hysteria increases bleeding (if any) and increases intracranial pressure.

Apply ice wrapped in a towel to the injury site. Keep it for no more than 15 minutes, ice is needed to relieve swelling and to avoid the spread of hematoma. In the absence of ice, you can use the bag with any frozen food.
Treat a wound or abrasion with hydrogen peroxide to avoid infection. With further bleeding (if it is not stopped), call an ambulance.
Watch your little one carefully. If there are signs of a concussion, call an ambulance immediately. Before the doctor arrives, do not give painkillers to the crumbs, so as not to "blur the picture" for the diagnosis.

The child fell and hit his head, but there are no injuries - we monitor the general condition of the baby

It happens that after a fall and head injury in a baby, the mother cannot find visible injuries. How to be?

Within the next few days be extra careful with your little one. The hours immediately after the fall are the most important for symptoms.
Note - Is the baby's head spinning?, whether he was abruptly pulled into a dream, whether he is sick, whether he is able to answer questions, etc.
Don't let the baby sleep so as not to miss the appearance of certain symptoms.
If the baby calmed down after 10-20 minutes, and visible symptoms did not appear during the day, most likely, everything worked out with a slight bruise of the soft tissues. But if there is even the slightest doubt and suspicion, consult a doctor. Better to be safe once again.
Children of the 1st year of life cannot tell what and where it hurts. As a rule, they only cry loudly, are nervous, refuse to eat, sleep restlessly after an injury, nausea or vomiting appears. If this symptomatology is prolonged and even intensifies, a concussion can be assumed.

What are the symptoms after a child's head injury should be urgently shown to the doctor - be careful!

Urgently call an ambulance for the following symptoms:

The kid loses consciousness.
There is heavy bleeding.
The baby is sick or vomiting.
The child has headaches.
The baby was suddenly drawn to sleep.
The child is restless, does not stop crying.
The pupils of the baby are enlarged or have a different size.
The child is not able to answer even simple questions.
The movements of the baby are sharp and erratic.
There were convulsions.
Confused consciousness.
Limbs do not move.
There is bleeding from the ears, nose (sometimes with the appearance of a colorless liquid from there).
There were blue-black incomprehensible spots or a bruise behind the ear.
There was blood in the whites of the eyes.

What to do before the arrival of the doctor?

Lay the baby on its side so that it does not choke on vomit.
Fix the child in a safe position.
Check his pulse, evenness (presence) of breathing and pupil size.
Keep your baby awake and in such a horizontal position that both head and body are at the same level.
Give artificial respiration if the baby is not breathing. Tilt back his head, check that the tongue does not overlap the larynx, and, holding the baby's nose, blow air "from mouth to mouth." You are doing everything correctly if the chest visually rises.
In case of convulsions, urgently turn the baby on its side, in this state he needs complete rest. Do not give medicine, wait for the doctor.

Even if everything is fine and serious you didn’t need an examination - don’t relax. Observe the baby for 7-10 days. Take him to the doctor immediately if in doubt. And remember that it is better to once again make sure that the baby is healthy than to treat the consequences of a bruise that you “overlooked” later.