Head Injuries

An injury caused by any blow to the head. A concussion is defined as a head injury which is followed immediately with a period of loss of consciousness (the child is not arousable).

TIPS 

  • It is unusual for a child falling from their own height to have any serious head injury.
  • If a child cries immediately and has no loss of consciousness, this is most likely to be a minor head injury.
  • A child may have nausea, vomiting, headache or dizziness in the first 24 to 48 hours after minor head injury.
  • This is not cause for alarm, unless the symptoms worsen and especially if associated with progressive lethargy.
  • Lethargy means the child may appear disoriented, or very sleepy when it is not bedtime, or be hard to awaken if it is their normal sleep time.
  • Where the child does not cry immediately and appears to "pass out" for seconds or minutes after the event, the doctor should be contacted immediately.
  • Often, a large bump or "goose egg" develops on the head after a head injury.
  • The size of the bump or how quickly it appears does not tell us the seriousness of the injury.
  • What is more important is if there was any loss of consciousness and how the child is acting.

Observation at home:

  • Most children with minor head injuries can be observed at home.
  • During daytime hours, observe their behavior and also watch for vomiting.
  • If a child normally naps, try to keep the child up for a short period, so that you may observe their behavior and then allow them to sleep.
  • Awaken them when they have napped their usual amount of time.
  • If it is bedtime, try to observe for a short period and then allow them to sleep. The child should be awakened every 3 to 6 hours, depending on how significant an injury occurred and how the child is acting before bedtime.
  • The more concerned we are, the more often we will awaken the child.

Treatment of bumps and headaches.

  • Headaches can be managed with appropriate doses of panadol or nurofen.
  • Place ice on bumps on the skull that swell up after the injury

CALL DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY 

  • Any loss of consciousness where the child appears to "pass out" and is unarousable after the injury
  • Vomiting 2 or 3 times after the injury, especially if the child is not acting normally
  • Disoriented, confused behavior
  • Pupils of the eyes appear unequal (this is usually a late sign for serious head injury)
  • Extremely sleepy behavior during usual awake time
  • Very difficult to awaken if during usual sleep time
  • Mechanism of the head injury seems severe (for example, falling down several stairs onto tile or falling from a large height)
  • There appears to be a slight depression of the skull bone at the point of injury

CALL DURING NORMAL HOURS 

  • Headache, nausea or dizziness are not going away after 48 to 72 hours of the injury
Make a Free Website with Yola.