My 21 month old hit his head?????

Question

He was playing on Mommy & Daddies bed, 'head butting' the pillow, Well, He miscalculated his 'bang' and hit his head on our wooden headboard.

It started bleeding pretty badly at first, we put a cold washcloth on it, And it's slowed down considerably...It's not a BIG gash, But it's not a small one either...Before anyone says "Go see a doctor" I am waiting for my fiance to get home from work, To take us...Just wanted to know, What we might be able to do in the mean time to ease the pain. He's not crying, And he doesn't act like it hurts at all, But when he's being active(which is constantly for a 2 year old) it starts bleeding again? Do you think it'll need stitches? And does this really warrant a trip to the ER?

...we went ahead and took him to the ER. They gave him 1 stitch, Lol. :]

Thanks everyone...well, almost everyone. :]

Answer 1

Two months ago, my 18 month old fell in the driveway at daycare and bonked her head. The cut was probably less than a centimeter but, like all head wounds, it bled like crazy. Daycare called and said she'd need stitches. When I got there, she had a band aid on it, which she'd bled through, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped and it didn't seem to bother her. I considered not taking her to the ER, but after I'd already taken off work and collected her sister from preschool, I felt like I'd better.

Anyway, the triage nurse took the band aid off, took one look at the cut, and said, "Yeah, that will need some repair."

It wasn't a big deal--only two or three stitches. But they were important to close it up and to minimize scarring. C'mon--it's your son's forehead. Do you want a big ugly scar there forever? (He'll have one anyway, but at least it will be smaller and neater..)

The cool thing is that they don't use needles to numb up toddlers for stitches anymore. They use a topical gel. So that was great. And my daughter was angrier about being restrained so they could DO the stitches than she was about the stitches themselves.

As for waiting, a few hours aren't a big deal, but if you wait too long, they won't be able to do stitches and the trip will be wasted. I'd go sooner rather than later.

Answer 2

If it keeps bleeding constantly make him slow down. It might be hard for a 2 yr. old, but it's important he doesn't get to active and pass out.
I guess you don't need to go to ER,but see a doctor when he keeps bleeding ( and your fiance is home ;))
He can glue the wound which is better than stitches if the wound isn't to deep and not painful. make sure the wound doesn't get infected and cool down with some ice. Good luck.

Answer 3

Any head injury is worth having seen. Did he cry right away and now not? How is he acting? Is he walking and talking normally for him? If yes, not to worry. If not, he needs to go to the ER NOW.

As for the cut - anything on the face or scalp will bleed heavily and it is worth stitches just to keep from opening again. (If it looks like a gaping fish's mouth, then it's not a question, stitches are definite.)

Answer 4

You want to becareful with head injuries but most children get at least 1 if not 100 that never do more than cause ouchies give him some childrens tylenol to help with the pain and put some tight bandages over the wounds to help stop the bleeding do your best to get him to stay calm put his favorite movie on or something and see if it stops bleeding if it hasnt by the time your fiance gets home take him to the doctors or hospital if he starts to seem disoriented or throws up or gets lethargic then take him to the hospital immediately but I am sure he will be just fine children are resilient

Answer 5

Well, watch him. Does he seem sluggish or unusually sleepy?
Head wounds bleed like a stuck pig because the blood vessels are near the surface, but aren't serious. Unless the wound is HUGE or tearing at the edges, I doubt stitches will be required. However, a trip to the Doc might be in order just to get tips to prevent scarring (Wound care, ointments to put on, Vitamin E, etc)
Unless he seems normally tired, I'd keep him from napping in case it's a concussion.

Answer 6

A head gash will bleed a lot even if it's not serious. Most of the time it isn't serious. I'd watch him. Make sure there's not any different behavior from him. Put butterfly strips on the wound meanwhile to keep cut closed after you clean it. I've got two boys so I've been through it more times than I'd like. Good luck to you.

Answer 7

After you clean it, put a butterfly band-aid on it to reduce the possibility of a large scar. If that band-aid bleeds through 2 x's then you will need to get stitches because it is not clotting up and the gash is too big.

Answer 8

Head wounds have a tendency to bleed A LOT. I think your best bet is to call your pediatrician to get his advice. Try not to let him sleep, although it doesn't really sound like he has a concussion. If he's not acting like it's hurting, don't worry about the pain. It might need stitches, but don't worry-many kids have to have them.

Answer 9

I would call his doctor to get an appointment for when your hubby gets home to take you, that way the doctor’s expecting you.

They may be able to help at the Dr.’s office. They are gluing minor head injuries and nurses can even do this.

Go to your doctor before you spend 5 hours waiting at emergency.

When my son was that age, he did that to the back of his head and they just glued it shut. Faster and less painful than stitches. The glue eventually washes out.

Answer 10

scalps bleed terribly. It's probably not as bad as it looks. I would keep pressure on it, perhaps a band-aid to hold the cut together until you can get to the doctor. In the meantime, don't let him sleep in case there is a slight concussion. If he's still playing and not acting like he's off balance, he's probably fine. But follow up with your pediatrician.