What to do When Baby Bumped Head

Contents:

• What to do When a Baby Bumps their Head
• How Dangerous is it for a Baby to Bump Head?
• Examining the Bumped Area and Rendering First Aid
• Symptoms that Tell You that there is a Need to Go to a Doctor
• Possible Rraumas and Consequences After a Baby Bumped Head

What to do When a Baby Bumps their Head

We’ll be right to say that there is no kid that has never fallen down and bumped his/her head. This is especially true for babies who are learning to crawl and walk. It’s a usual thing for them to fall down and get bruises. That’s why the main task on the part of parents is to develop a baby’s coordination of movements and make the environment as safe as possible.

In some cases, there occur symptoms of a trauma after a baby fell down and bumped his/her head. You need to take your baby to a doctor as soon as possible in these cases. So what symptoms should you pay special attention to?

How Dangerous is it for a Baby to Bump Head?

Many parents remember that when their kids were little, they constantly fell down, got bruises and bumped head. It’s natural. At first, your baby learns to sit and he/she doesn’t always manage to keep balance. Then, he/she learns to craw and makes the first steps. A baby is a bit awkward at this age and he/she can’t stand up quickly. Since head is the heaviest part of our body, it’s exactly it that gets bumped in the majority of cases.

Well, a baby is safe here. He/she has big and small fontanels on the head that keep him/her protected. This fontanels help to reduce the potential trauma. That’s why, in the majority of cases, there is no danger for the health of your baby. Besides, little babies have more liquid in between the bones of the brain case and the brain itself than adults. This also protects them.

That’s why in the majority of cases there is no danger for a baby to get traumatized if he/she falls down and bumps his/her head. However, parents should know about particular symptoms that can tell them that their baby has a trauma. If you notice any of the symptoms described below, you need to take your baby to a doctor as soon as possible.

Examining the Bumped Area and Rendering First Aid

If your baby has fallen down and bumped his/her head, the first thing you need to do is to examine the bumped area and try to say how serious the case is.

• There is a lump (a hematoma). The first thing you should do in this case is to put something cold on it. You may use fruits, a packet of something that was in the freezer or a bottle filled in with cold water. You need to keep it pressed to the bumped area for at least 3-4 minutes. This way the area won’t be severely swollen later on.
• There is a sore that’s bleeding. Dip a cotton or a gauze tampon in hydrogen peroxide and put it on the sore. This way you’ll prevent possible infection. If the sore is still bleeding 10 minutes later, call an ambulance!
• There is no sores or bruises on the area. In this case, you have to pay attention to the way your baby behaves for the next 2-3 days. There may occur some symptoms. For example, your baby may cry or sleep more than usual. He/she may tell you that he/she is got a headache and feels weak etc.

You shouldn’t give your baby any painkillers before he/she is examined by a doctor. If you do it, it will be harder for a doctor to make a diagnosis. Do not let your baby sleep after he/she bumped his/her head or you won’t be able to assess how severe the case is. Your baby needs to have a rest in such like cases. Do not play active games with him/her. Let your baby just lie in bed on his/her side.

Symptoms that Tell You that there is a Need to Go to a Doctor

Anyway, you need to pay attention to the way your baby feels during several hours after he/she bumped his head and during 2-3 days after it as well.

What symptoms should you pay attention to? If you notice one or several symptoms mentioned below, you need to take your baby to a doctor as soon as possible. Of course, there is always a possibility that the symptoms occur for a different reason. The fact is that if you go to a doctor on time, your baby will be provided with the necessary treatment on time.

• Drowsiness, weakness and retardation of movements;
• Your baby cries more often than usually;
• One of his/her pupils is bigger or smaller than the other one;
• Your baby lost consciousness right after he/she bumped head;
• Vomiting or nausea;
• If you’re still breastfeeding your baby, he/she may need to regurgitate more often than usually;
• Your baby feels dizzy and can’t keep balance;
• Your baby tells you that there is a noise in his/her ears;
• Bleeding from nose or ears;
• Loss of appetite. Your baby may refuse to eat at all;
• Your baby sleeps uneasily;
• Speech or hearing is impaired. Your baby tells you that he/she can’t hear well;
• Headache;
• Pale cutaneous integuments;
• Bruises under eyes.

Possible Rraumas and Consequences After a Baby Bumped Head

There are open and closed skull injuries that your baby may get after he/she fell down and bumped head.

The list of closed skull injuries includes:

• brain compression;
• brain contusion;
• brain concussion.

Brain compression is considered to be the most serious injury. In this case, there may occur rupture of blood vessels. Besides, the grey matter also gets damaged. Brain concussion is the least severe consequence in comparison with all the rest. In this case, the brain is not damaged and on the area that was bumped there is either a hematoma or a bruise.