Falls and Head Injuries

Sooner or later, every child will fall and strike his or her head. Falls are especially common when your child is learning to walk. Most head injuries simply result in a scalp injury. Big bumps can occur with minor injuries because the blood supply to the scalp is so plentiful. For the same reason, small cuts on the scalp or face can bleed profusely.

Home Care Steps:

1) If there is a scrape, wash it off with soap and water.
2) Apply pressure with a clean cloth for 10 minutes to stop any bleeding.
3) For swelling, apply ice for 20 minutes. (Frozen vegetables such as peas work well or keep a wet sponge in a zippered bag in the freezer).
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For more serious head injuries, look for the following symptoms:

• Did your child cry immediately? Crying is a normal response and indicates that he has not lost consciousness.
• Is he sleepy? After a fall it is common to be sleepy and you should encourage your child to lie down and rest until all symptoms are gone. Just observe him closely and awaken him every 15 minutes for the first hour and every 30 minutes for the second hour. Awaken your child twice during the night. Arouse him until he is walking and talking normally. Do this for two nights.
• Did your child lose consciousness? If he becomes unconscious, but regains consciousness within a few seconds, bring him to the office for evaluation. If he remains unconscious for more than 1 minute, call 911.
• Did your child vomit? If he vomits only 1 to 2 times and otherwise appears normal, give him only clear fluids until he has gone 2 hours without vomiting. If he vomits two or more times, bring him to the office for evaluation.
• Does he have persistent pain or headache? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation. Don’t give any pain medicine.
• Does he have abnormal body movements? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation.
• Are his pupils unusually small, large, or unequal? If so, bring him to the office for evaluation.

​Call our office immediately if:

• The pain or headache becomes severe.
• Vomiting occurs two or more times.
• Vision becomes blurred or doubled.
• Your child becomes difficult to awaken or acts confused.
• Walking or talking becomes difficult.
• Your child’s neurological condition worsens in any other way