My son is 18 months and climbs on everthing! last night he feel off the couch and bumped his head. How do I know when it is serious enough to go to the ER?
he cried for a minute or two, but then stopped, but he has a knot on his forehead.
Should I worry? or should I take him to the DR?
2007-04-11 04:49:45 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Our pediatrician told us that the crying is the first sign that things are okay, and that it's normal for them to then get quiet and/or nap.
If the child was unconsious, continues to cry for a really long time, acts disoriented, has trouble walking, vomits, or the wound itself seems to warrant medical attention, then you take the child in.
Just as an interesting side note, she also told us that it is no longer advised to wake up children or keep them awake when you suspect a concussion - they will seem groggy and disoriented (and probably mad) when you wake them up anyway, so you can't really tell much.
2007-04-11 05:27:07 · answer #1 · answered by eli_star 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Children often hit their heads. The signs to watch for typically are, vomiting soon after, seizures, or unconsciousness right after the injury occurs. These signs often indicate a serious head injury. Sometimes however, there can be a serious head injury without these signs. If you don't feel right about the situation, or your child won't settle after a long period of time, it is probably a good idea to go to the ER.
When my daughter was 3, she fell out of a shopping cart and landed on her head. We called the paramedics and they looked at her and said she was fine, but I knew it wasn't right. After they left, she started vomiting. We took her to the ER and found that she had fractured her skull and had 3 bleeds on her brain. After a 3 day hospital stay, the bleeds went down, thankfully and she went home. She is just fine today.
A year later my friend's daughter fell off her bunk bed and hit her head. She watched her and looked for the classic signs, but they never happened. She stayed up with her all night, feeling in her heart something was not right, and finally took her in to the ER in the morning. Turns out her daughter had also fractured her skull. She stayed in the hospital a while and is also fine now.
I've also had friend whose daughter fell from her 2nd story bedroom window onto the driveway below and walked away with only scrapes and scratches.
The point is, always look for the classic signs I mentioned above, but if they don't happen and you are not comfortable with the situation, there is nothing wrong with going to the ER anyway.
2007-04-11 12:05:36 · answer #2 · answered by e_imommy 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He should be fine. The way to know when it's serious and he needs medical care, is if he bumps his head really hard and no knot appears. He becomes very tired and falls asleep fast. That's when it time to go to the er. So when ever he falls and bumps his head, just keep him awake for awhile and see if he acts any different after he falls. He is a toddler, so he will bump his head a lot. Good luck.
2007-04-11 11:58:18 · answer #3 · answered by Debbie B 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately, toddlers and bumped heads go together like peanut butter and jelly! I don't even know if I could count the times my son has fallen and hit his head or other parts! Children love to play, but sometimes their little bodies aren't ready for the things they are trying to do and they lose their balance! Most of the time, a child isn't going to bump his/her head hard enough to need medical attention, but like others have said, if you notice that your child is crying for an extended period of time, is losing consciousness, or is vomiting, call your pediatrician or hospital right away! And there is never anything wrong with checking with them or an on-call nurse to set your mind at ease!
2007-04-11 14:08:08 · answer #4 · answered by Jacki 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Toddlers do this all the time. You worry when he can't move, when he crys more then 5 minutes, or when theres a lot of blood. If you put some cooking grease on knots they wont bruise as badly. When he first falls dont jump and run to him, this scares him into thinking hes hurt. Instead wait until he crys to run to him.
2007-04-11 12:20:25 · answer #5 · answered by letthepartybeginnow 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wow.. I've been there lots with my son. the good news is that a child can't get a concussion from falling off the couch. when your son hits his head, you need to watch for signs of a concussion. webMD is a really good site to go to for a list of the symptoms.
good luck, and welcome to the beginning of wonderful injuries that will send you into a panic ( but turn out just fine)!!
2007-04-11 11:59:09 · answer #6 · answered by harley 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think he should be fine. But if he starts to vomit bring him to ER
2007-04-11 11:59:27 · answer #7 · answered by laohu3gu 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he will be fine ,you only need a dr if they loose conciousness ,are sick or get drowsy,
2007-04-11 11:55:51 · answer #8 · answered by dumplingmuffin 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋