For small children, falls from furniture, head-on collisions and bumps on the head are daily occurrences. But does your child’s head injury warrant a trip to the doctor? You’re probably in the best position to know, says Davis Cloward, MD of Doctors Express in High Point, North Carolina. Having been on both sides of the issue as a parent and a physician, Dr. Cloward understands that it’s sometimes difficult to assess whether your child’s injury requires medical attention. When in doubt, he says, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.
“When little children bump their heads,” Dr. Cloward says, “it’s very hard for them to injure themselves significantly.” In his own practice, Dr. Cloward has seen young patients who’ve fallen onto concrete from a second floor window and have walked away with only some bruising. A fall from standing or, for example, from a bed or crib, he says, is unlikely to cause significant injury.
Having said that, however, Dr. Cloward believes that any time a parent is worried about the severity of a child’s injury, it’s best to seek medical attention. “The parent knows the child best,” he says, “and is therefore in the best position to know whether or not the child’s behavior is altered in any way. If there is any concern, it never hurts to bring the child to a doctor.”
Should you choose to keep your child at home after a head injury, there are a few things to watch for that may signal a more serious problem. If immediately after a bump to the head, your child is difficult to arouse, he should be seen by a doctor right away. Likewise, if he begins vomiting shortly after a head injury, he will likely need medical attention. “One-time vomiting,” Dr. Cloward says, “is not necessarily cause for alarm. Repeated vomiting, however, should prompt a visit to the emergency room.”
Parents should also be watchful for neurologic symptoms like a lack of coordination or slurred speech. These are signs that the brain is not working like it used to. “If a child has a huge purple bump on his head after a fall but is running around shouting, ‘Hey, Mommy, let’s play,’ he’s probably fine,” Dr. Cloward says. “On the other hand, if he seems tired, is uninterested in playing and is moving awkwardly, he needs to be seen.”
In the day or so after a head injury, watch for signs that a child has stopped being able to do things he can normally do. For example, if your very young child had a vocabulary of 50 words prior to his accident but now seems to be using only two words, this could be a sign of a brain injury. If the child was coloring very well before but now seems to have regressed, that may also signal a problem.
According to Dr. Cloward, the primary concern when it comes to head injuries is bleeding into the brain. This type of bleeding, however, is very rare in children. “It’s something you should be very worried about, for example, with an older relative who falls,” he says, “but not something you should be overly concerned about with your young children.” Simply keep a watchful eye on your child after a fall and seek medical attention if he begins behaving in a manner that is inconsistent with his regular behavior.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
