As parents, we all look forward to the day when our little ones take to their feet.
But with all that wobbling and newfound independence comes lots of falls.
And although the vast majority of these will be minor, one of the scariest parenting moments is when they get a knock on the head.
While these bumps will often be superficial or minor, that doesn't stop you worrying.
So, what are the red flags to watch out for if your child gets a bump on the head?
Red flags to watch for if your child bumps their head
Symptoms of a minor head injury include:
- Bruise and/or bump
- Mild headache
- Mild nausea
- Mild blurred vision
- Mild dizziness
If any of these symptoms are prolonged or become severe, take your child to your doctor or to the Emergency department to be checked out just in case.
Symptoms of serious head injury include:
- Loss of consciousness (no matter how brief)
- Problems with the senses, for example: double vision or hearing problems
- Fits or seizures
- Blood or fluid coming from the ears or nose, or bruising behind the ears
- Vomiting
- There is numbness in any part of the body
- There is loss of memory
- They are having problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking or writing
- They hit their head in a serious accident, such as a car crash
If your child displays any of these symptoms after a fall, take them to the Emergency department immediately, or call for an ambulance.
Reg flags
Even if the physical appearance of a bump doesn’t look too bad, it can still require urgent medical care.
And one of the biggest red flags is vomiting after a head injury, as this could be a sign the bump has caused the pressure around the brain to increase.
Preventing head injuries
Not all head injuries can be prevented, and there'll certainly be plenty of tumbles as your child learns to walk.
But to be on the safe side, it’s always wise to:
- Make sure kids wear a helmet when skiing, snowboarding, biking, riding a scooter, skateboarding, or rollerblading. A head injury can still happen, but the helmet can protect them from a skull fracture and serious brain injury.
- Have kids use the proper car seat, booster seat, and/or seatbelts every time they're in a car.
- Childproof your home.
- Use playgrounds that have soft ground surfaces like mulch.
- Talk to coaches to make sure that all teams your kids play on have rules to reduce the risk of head injuries and concussions, such as limits on tackling or heading the ball. Also make sure that the coach will take your child out of play if a head injury happens.
- Talk to your kids about never hiding a head injury. They should stop the sport or activity that caused the head injury and go to a parent, coach, or teacher right away.