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The child fell on his back and hit his head. Are Head Bumps Dangerous in Young Children?

Perhaps there is no such child who has never fallen and hit his head. This is especially true for babies who are learning to crawl or walk. At this age, small falls and bruises are inevitable. The task of parents is to ensure maximum safety for the child and teach him to properly coordinate his movements.

However, there are situations when, after a fall and a blow to the head, a child may experience alarming symptoms that indicate a head injury. In this case, it is necessary to show the child to the doctor as soon as possible. What should you do if your child has fallen and what should you pay attention to in the first place.

How dangerous are head blows in young children?

Many parents may recall that their children, when they were young, kept falling and hitting their heads. After all, at first the baby learns to sit and cannot always keep his balance, then he learns to crawl and walk, not always deftly and quickly gets up. And the head, as the heaviest part of the body, takes most of the blows on itself.

Yet it provided by nature, since children have large and small fontanelles on their heads, it is thanks to them that the blow is amortized and does not always pose a danger to the health of the baby. In addition, in younger children, there is more fluid between the bones of the skull and the brain than in adults. It also performs a protective function for the child.

Therefore, most of the blows and falls for the child end safely. However, parents need to know which signs and characteristics of the child's behavior may indicate and require immediate medical attention.

Inspection of the impact site and first aid

If your child has fallen and hit his head, the first thing to do is examine the impact site and try to qualify the severity of the damage.

  • A bump (hematoma) formed at the site of impact. In this case, first of all, a cold compress should be applied - it can be any fruit or a bag from the refrigerator, or a bottle of chilled liquid. Try to hold the compress on the bruised area for at least 3-4 minutes, this will help prevent severe swelling.
  • A wound formed at the site of impact and blood flows from the abrasion. Moisten a cotton swab or gauze pad with hydrogen peroxide and apply it to the abrasion to prevent infection. If after ten minutes the bleeding has not stopped, call an ambulance!
  • There is no visible damage at the impact site.. In this case, you only have to carefully monitor the child's condition for 2-3 days and note uncharacteristic behavior for him. This may be excessive, drowsiness, complaints of headache, excessive tearfulness, and so on.

Before seeing a doctor, do not give your baby no painkillers, as this will significantly complicate the examination of the child.

Immediately after the injury, try don't let the baby sleep since in this case you will not be able to fairly objectively assess his condition.

Provide your child peace, do not play outdoor games. Let the child lie quietly on his side.

Warning symptoms after hitting your head: when to see a doctor

In any case, after any head injury, it is necessary watch the child especially carefully - a few hours after the impact, and pay attention to his well-being for another two to three days.

What symptoms should be looked out for? If you notice one or more of these signs of a traumatic brain injury, contact your doctor immediately. Of course, this may turn out to be a mere coincidence, but in this case, it is better to play it safe in order not to lose time if the child needs treatment.

  • Drowsiness, lethargy, lethargy
  • Tearfulness uncharacteristic for a child
  • Different sizes of pupils of the eyes
  • Episode of loss of consciousness immediately after impact
  • Vomiting or child's complaints
  • For infants - frequent and uncharacteristic regurgitation
  • Dizziness, inability to balance
  • Complaints about tinnitus
  • Bleeding from the nose or from the ears
  • Lack of appetite or complete refusal to eat
  • Bad disturbing dream
  • Speech or hearing disorders in a child, complaints of poor vision
  • Headache
  • Paleness of the skin
  • The appearance of bruises under the eyes

Possible injuries and consequences of hitting the head in a child

Traumatic brain injuries that a child could have received during a fall are divided into open and closed.

TO closed injuries in turn are

  • brain compression
  • brain contusion
  • brain concussion

The most serious damage is compression- in this case, a bruise may be accompanied by rupture of blood vessels, with a bruise foci of destruction of the substance of the brain are observed. Shake the brain is the easiest injury. In this case, the brain is not damaged, and at the site of impact, we can detect a hematoma or bruise.

Prevention of head injuries in children (VIDEO)

Babies under one year old often fall off beds, sofas, or changing tables. Never leave them unattended at a height from the floor! Even if the child is not yet able to roll over or crawl, he can reach the edge of the table or bed and fall headfirst. If the baby already knows how to roll over, crawl, then it is safest to leave him on the floor. Lay out a rug or a diaper for him and put it down if you need to go away on business. In this case, you can be sure of its safety. Children fall off the couch most often when their mothers leave them "just for a minute." On the changing table, always hold the baby with one hand. If you need to go away or even turn away for a diaper or powder, take your baby with you.

Often, the mobility and curiosity of children leads, through an oversight of parents or by accident, to falls and injuries. Such injuries are especially alarming at the age of up to three years, until children can accurately describe their feelings and condition, and only external data and approximately the strength of the injury can be assessed if it occurred in front of their parents. The most alarming falls with blows to the head, since the children's brain is vulnerable to traumatic effects, concussions, bruises and other damage. Almost no child can do without falls and minor injuries as he grows and develops, he learns the world and his activity and freedom cannot be limited. But it is important to ensure maximum safety and to know what head injuries are dangerous for, how to help with them, and which of the symptoms for certain types of injuries, especially if the baby fell, hit, forehead or back of the head, are dangerous, and which ones are not?

The structure of the baby's head

Nature took care in advance to protect the child in certain ways in case of possible falls and injuries. At an early age, in order to avoid trauma in childbirth, and then partly as it grows, the crumb head has a special structure. Head at birth relative to the body of a large size, disproportionate to the rest of the parts. And therefore, when babies fall from beds, sofas or changing tables, they fall forward with it. But there are also special positive, compensatory mechanisms.

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The brain of crumbs with possible falls, if it is not an extreme height, is relatively reliably protected from injury. The bones of the head are relatively elastic, not completely ossified, at the joints they have sutures, as well as a fontanelle, which, due to its elasticity, can compensate for pressure changes in the cranial cavity.

The brain itself is surrounded by hard, soft and arachnoid shells, floats in a fluid that compensates for shocks to a certain limit. These environments dampen the force of impact quite strongly, so either a large impact force or a high altitude is needed for a young child to receive dangerous brain damage.

Hazardous surfaces and falls

For a baby, falls from a height equal to or less than his own height can be considered relatively safe. That is, this distance is about 50-60 cm. In addition, it is important, and how the child did it, whether the body was accelerated or it was a fall under its own weight. The surfaces on which the head lands during falls are also important.

As the baby grows, when he begins to walk, falls happen:

  • from the height of one's own height when walking and running,
  • when walking in walkers, jumping in jumpers,
  • when riding wheelchairs, children's bicycles, sleds
  • from chairs, when climbing on them,
  • furniture elements, when trying to climb higher,
  • various sports equipment, street slides, swings and carousels.

There are many options for falls, but the higher the distance from the place of the fall to the surface on which the child lands, and the denser, harder this surface, the more dangerous the injury.

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If the fall occurred on a carpet or carpet, it will partially mitigate the injury, but if it is tile, linoleum or uneven surfaces, this is worse.

The probability of falls and injuries is directly proportional to the age of the young "pilot". In an early return (the first six months), falls are possible due to oversight or negligence of the parents who left the baby unattended, or with improper care for him, rough care and upbringing, domestic violence.

When learning to turn over from side to side and gradually mastering crawling, pulling up with hands, falls are likely from sofas and beds, for the most part, such falls are accompanied by more fear of parents than really dangerous injuries to children. Further, as the development of walking. the risk of falls increases and vigilance needs to be increased. From the moment of mastering the space on foot, when children are already walking, running and jumping, climbing everywhere, you need to increase your vigilance to the maximum.

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Remember, even from your own home, not to mention the street, a child can get dangerous, and even fatal injuries. Plastic windows with mosquito nets are especially dangerous in the warm season. They will not hold the weight of a child who, having climbed onto the windowsill, can lean on them. This threatens the death of the baby who fell out of the window.

But this does not mean at all that the baby needs to be locked within four walls and not allowed to actively develop and explore the space. You have to be alert and alert.

For children under three years old, the arm's length rule should apply; in dangerous places, the baby should be in the zone of the outstretched arm of the parents, so that, if necessary, they have time to insure him.

The child hit his head: what to do?

The first thing to do if a child falls and hits his head is not to panic and scare the child even more with his actions. Often, after a fall and bruise, children cry more from fear and surprise than from pain. If there is only a small bump in the area of ​​impact, the child is conscious and quickly calmed down, you need to create an atmosphere of peace around him, as if nothing had happened . You should not let him scream loudly, jump and run a lot, observing his behavior and general condition. The first 24 hours are important in assessing injury if a dangerous fall is suspected. There are different types of injuries in their localization, and from this they differ in tactics.

What to do if the child hit his forehead

Often, when hitting the frontal region, where the tissues are very pliable and richly supplied with blood, bumps appear. This is not dangerous, but it can scare parents. Small capillaries can burst at the site of injury, causing blood to leak into the tissue, forming a bruise and swelling. There are many subcutaneous vessels in this zone, as elsewhere on the face, due to which the edema can be pronounced and strong, but the bone itself is strong enough, so most of these injuries have no consequences. . However, the age of the baby is important, if it is an infant in the first months of life, and he has a hematoma on his forehead, it is worth showing the baby to the doctor to assess the degree of injury.

What to do if the child hit the back of the head

Falls on the back and blows to the back of the head are more dangerous than the previous ones, it is important to show the child to the doctor with such an injury, because usually such falls come from a sufficient height.

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With such blows, vision, coordination of movement and other functions can be impaired; there are many important centers of the brain in the region of the occipital cortex. Such a fall with the formation of a bump is especially dangerous if there is weakness and lethargy in the child, trembling in the legs and.

In this case, you should immediately call an ambulance. Such injuries in the area of ​​rather soft and pliable bones of the occipital zone can lead to cracks in the skull and concussions, bruises of the brain.

Traumatic brain injury in children

In the presence of a head injury, it is important to closely monitor the child and identify dangerous symptoms that may indicate the presence. In this case, it is the role of parents that is great, they are well aware of the characteristics of the child and will immediately notice deviations in his behavior and condition. The gender and age of the child are relative, as opposed to the height from which the child falls. The size of the bruise or the resulting bump does not always correlate with the strength of the injury, as well as the presence or absence of blood and abrasions, and skin lesions.

Signs that are important are:

  • Clouding of consciousness or its loss, even if it was short, just a few seconds.
  • Any inappropriate actions and behavior, abnormal crying and screaming
  • Disturbance of normal falling asleep, unusually long and deep sleep after a stroke
  • if the baby is older, attempts to grab the head, not passing for several hours.
  • Sudden or profuse regurgitation with a fountain without fever and signs of infection
  • Unsteady gait, staggering to the sides, problems with coordination of movements
  • General spasms or twitching of limbs
  • Sharp weakness in the arm or leg, hanging arm or leg with a whip, movement disorders on one side.
  • The appearance of secretions of a bloody or bloody nature from the ear or nose.
  • Decreased hearing or vision, different icon sizes, strabismus in one or both eyes, impaired muscle tone in the face, sagging of part of the face
  • Cold extremities, a sharp change in skin color (redness, pallor, marbling), especially on certain parts of the body.

All of these symptoms point to brain damage of varying severity.. The appearance of any, even one of them, is a reason for an immediate call for an ambulance and hospitalization in a hospital with a full examination. According to the severity of the injury, head injuries can be divided into concussion, contusion and compression, their clinical symptoms differ, as well as severity, forecasts for subsequent health and life.

Signs of concussion in children

It is believed that this is a relatively simple and mild injury (but this is for doctors and its treatment in a hospital). For him, a short-term disturbance of consciousness is typical, loss of consciousness for no more than 5 minutes. There may be seizures and vomiting dizziness. There is no damage to the brain, it just experiences a kind of shake-up, due to which "interference is induced in the ether", that is, the work of certain brain centers or cells is temporarily disrupted. Usually, all brain functions return to normal within a week. The basis of treatment for concussion is observation and rest, taking vitamins.

Signs of brain injury in children

A brain contusion is a more serious injury, with it the membranes of the brain and its substance directly suffer, deep subcortical structures, vessels with the possible formation of hematomas, the formation of pronounced edema-swelling of the brain. In many ways, the prognosis and further treatment tactics will be influenced by the fact how long the loss of consciousness was. According to the severity of brain bruises, doctors sometimes divide into three stages, based on the duration of the unconscious period. If it is a mild bruise, consciousness usually returns within five minutes, with moderate severity, the unconscious state lasts from 10 minutes to an hour (plus or minus), with a severe brain bruise, consciousness may not return for several hours, or even days, even weeks - coma occurs.

What is brain compression in children

Compression of the brain is usually formed against the background of damage to the bones of the skull, compression is formed inside its cavity, and the normal anatomical ratio of the brain, its membranes and bones is disturbed. With such a pathology, there may be vomiting of a cerebral nature due to an increase in intracranial pressure, periodic loss of consciousness with the manifestation of "light" gaps. During this time, the child may behave quite normally without showing signs of a brain problem. They last up to two days, after which a coma may occur.

The consequences of TBI can be different depending on which centers are damaged, and how dangerous the injury was, how the first aid was provided, and then the treatment was carried out. With a bruise and compression of the brain without full medical treatment, a fatal outcome is possible. Therefore, it is important that parents know how to provide first aid, recognize dangerous symptoms and go to the doctor in time, without attempting self-treatment.

Alena Paretskaya, pediatrician, medical commentator

Children are inquisitive and restless, and therefore no one succeeds in completely avoiding injuries, falls and bruises. In the process of learning about the world, babies fall quite often. But if a fall on the ass or back does not cause panic attacks in parents, then the situation changes dramatically if the child hits his head. An authoritative pediatrician, author of numerous books and articles on children's health, Yevgeny Komarovsky, tells why such falls are dangerous and when to start worrying.


Features of child physiology

The head of a small child is designed in such a way that it is relatively large compared to the rest of the body, so babies most often, losing balance, fall on their head. But there is also a positive: the child's brain is quite reliably protected from injuries when falling. If a small child fell from the sofa upside down, then his parents, and not himself, received the greatest injury (psychological properties). The bones of the baby's skull are very soft, and the "fontanelle" and dynamic "seams" between the bones of the skull provide them with mobility. The larger the fontanel, says Yevgeny Komarovsky, the less likely it is to get injured when falling upside down. In addition, nature has come up with another shock-absorbing mechanism - a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid.


If a child at 6-7 months, when he becomes more mobile, rolled over unsuccessfully and fell off the sofa or changing table, you should not immediately panic. The kid, of course, will scream heart-rendingly. But parents should understand that he is crying not from terrible pain, but more from fright caused by a sharp movement in space. If after half an hour the baby smiles, hums and leads his usual way of life, nothing has changed in his behavior, then there are no reasons for alarm, examination by doctors, says Komarovsky.

Most often, children under one year old begin to beat their heads when they master the first steps. This usually happens after 8-9 months. That is why it is important that the baby first learn to crawl, and only then stand and walk.


Of course, a child who hit his head requires more careful attention from the parents. It is advisable to provide the baby with peace, do not let him run a lot, play outdoor active games, shout loudly. The first day will show if the baby has an injury . For this, parents need to be aware of the symptoms of head injuries.

Traumatic brain injury

It does not matter the age and gender of the child, the height from which he fell head down, the size of the bruise or bump on his forehead, and the presence or absence of abrasions and blood. All mothers and fathers should know that in all situations associated with the presence of a head injury, the child needs qualified medical care.

The presence of an injury can be suspected if the child has clouding of consciousness, loss of consciousness of any duration and frequency. Observation is very important, as parents who know the peculiarities of their child's behavior will be able to notice changes in his behavior in time. Any inadequate changes may indicate a possible head injury.


If the child stops falling asleep normally, or, conversely, sleeps unusually long, he has a headache, and it does not go away even an hour and a half after the fall, you should seek qualified medical help.

A characteristic symptom of a head injury is vomiting, especially if it is repeated. The child may become shaky and unsure gait, dizziness, convulsions, there may be noticeable incoordination, weakness of the arms, legs, inability to move one or two paired limbs at once. In all these cases, it is imperative to call an "ambulance".

Discharge from the nose and ears, whether they are bloody, bloody, or clear and colorless, is a definite reason to assume an injury.

Also, symptoms of injuries can be various disorders of the functioning of the sense organs.(hearing loss, visual impairment, complete, or perhaps partial lack of response to tactile contact). The child may begin to complain that he is cold or hot. Yevgeny Komarovsky advises paying attention to each of these symptoms.

concussion

This is a fairly simple traumatic brain injury in which the child may lose consciousness, but such a loss will be short-term (no more than 5 minutes), nausea, dizziness are possible. The brain is not damaged, but a concussion temporarily disrupts some brain cell functions. Dr. Komarovsky claims that this is the easiest consequence of a fall on the head, because after a couple of days the brain functions normalize and the child's condition returns to normal.


brain contusion

This is an injury in which the membranes of the brain are directly damaged, as well as its deeper structures with the formation of a hematoma and the occurrence of edema. How long the state of unconsciousness lasts affects the degree of injury, it can be mild, moderate or severe. In the first degree, the symptoms are similar to a concussion, only the unconscious state in a child can last more than 5 minutes. The average severity of the injury is characterized by the duration of fainting from 10-15 minutes to an hour or a little more. In severe form, consciousness may be absent for several hours or several weeks.


Brain compression

This is an extremely dangerous condition when, as a result of a head injury, compression occurs inside the skull. With such a pathology, vomiting occurs, which has a protracted and repeated character. Periods of loss of consciousness are replaced by the so-called "light" periods, when the child behaves normally, without showing any signs of a brain disorder. Such periods can last up to 48 hours.

First aid

If the child fell, hit his head and there was a cut in the skin or hair, while the child did not lose consciousness. and a day later there is no sign of injury, there is no need to take him to the doctor, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. It is enough to treat the wound with an antiseptic, apply ice to the site of the external injury. With an extensive wound (more than 7 mm), you should go to the emergency room, the child will have several sutures, and this treatment can be considered complete.


If the wound is open (with an open craniocerebral injury), in no case should you put pressure on it to stop the bleeding. Mom should put ice around the edges of the wound before the doctor arrives.

If the child fell, hit the back of the head or forehead on the floor, and the parents immediately or several hours later found signs of injury in the child, the child should be laid down and the hospital should be called. To establish the type of injury, its nature and severity is the task of doctors.


If the head injury is severe, the child is unconscious, he is not breathing, the child needs to be resuscitated before the arrival of the ambulance. The child should be put on his back, fix his head, carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation, after the baby comes to his senses, he should not be allowed to move, drink and talk until the doctors arrive.

Consequences

With craniocerebral injuries, vital centers and parts of the brain suffer. If the child is not provided with timely medical care, the changes that are caused by bruising or compression may be irreversible. Severe injury can result in death.

If a child hits his head while away from his parents, for example, in a health summer camp or boarding school, parents, for objective reasons, cannot observe the behavior and condition of the child for 24 hours after the impact. In this situation, one should be sympathetic to the fact that doctors and educators of a children's institution "reinsure themselves" and immediately send your child to the hospital. According to Komarovsky, in 99% of cases, such hospitalization is required not in order to treat the child, but in order to have someone to observe him.

If some time after a blow to the head or on the head, the child, having cried, calmed down and fell asleep, Komarovsky does not advise him to interfere - let him sleep.

However, it is very important for a mother to remember that the child must be awakened every three hours and assess his condition, for example, by asking a simple question (how many fingers does he see, what is his name, etc.). This will help to understand whether there are changes in the mind of the child.

If it is not possible to wake up or the answers are unintelligible, you should immediately call a doctor.


There is no specific prevention of head injuries. However, the task of parents, as best as possible, is to think through all dangerous situations and, to the extent possible, do everything to protect the baby.

Starting from 8 months, the child should not be left alone in the room while he is awake, unless he is in the playpen. He can fall and hit at any moment.

Older children should definitely give a special helmet for a gift in the form of a bicycle, and a helmet and shields for arms and legs for roller skates. In the bathroom, be sure to put non-slip mats on the floor and on the bottom of the tub.

For information on when a fall is really dangerous and how to provide emergency care, see Dr. Komarovsky's program.

Unfortunately, often the baby is on the floor. What are the actions of parents in this case?

Dangerous height or where a child could fall

A small child is surrounded by care and attention from birth. His relatives are doing everything possible so that nothing threatens the health of the crumbs. But even the most attentive mother can make a mistake. Sometimes it is enough just to turn away for a second - and the baby is already on the floor.

The fact is that not everyone correctly imagines the possibilities of crumbs. Even a newborn child, making chaotic movements with arms and legs, may well move to the edge and fall, although the likelihood of this is small.

Especially dangerous places from which a fall is possible for babies under 6 months old are the changing table, the sofa, and the parents' bed. After six months, the baby begins to actively master new movements, learns to sit, crawl, stand on his feet at the support, and then walk.

At this age, he may fall out of his crib, from a highchair, from a stroller, etc.?

Most often, when falling, babies hit their heads: up to 1 year old, the head is the most vulnerable place due to its rather large size and mass in relation to the body. But damage to other parts of the body is also possible. Most often these are bruises, in rare cases - a broken bone or a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

If a child hits his head...

Headbutting in babies under 1 year old is a fairly frequent phenomenon, while they do not have to fall at all, because the baby can accidentally hit the surrounding objects or furniture, making active movements. In this case, basically everything goes without consequences: there is not a traumatic brain injury, but only a bruise. However, when falling from a height, the likelihood of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases many times over.

What is a TBI?

Traumatic brain injury is a mechanical damage to the bones of the skull and soft tissues of the head (the brain, its vessels, cranial nerves, meninges).

Traumatic brain injuries include:
concussion (a mild form of TBI - there are no obvious changes in the structure of the brain, but functional activity may be impaired);
brain contusion of varying severity (accompanied by the destruction of the medulla in a certain area, causing severe functional disorders);
compression of the brain (severe pathology that occurs against the background of a brain contusion or rupture of a large blood vessel, which leads to the formation of an intracranial hematoma).

In children with typical falls, cerebral compression is extremely rare. To sustain this injury, the child must fall from a height of at least 2m or hit a very hard or sharp object.

We assess the situation. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury in a child are not the same as in an adult, which is due to the peculiarities of the structure of the skull and the internal structures of the infant's brain. In some cases, a long asymptomatic course of TBI is possible or, conversely, a rapid manifestation of symptoms with minimal trauma. This is due to the flexibility of the bones of the skull, their mobility relative to each other in the region of the sutures, as well as to the age-related anatomical and physiological features of the brain. The brain cells in the baby are not yet fully differentiated, i.e. there is no strict division into zones of brain functions, therefore, the symptoms are most often blurred.

When hitting the head, the baby feels pain, redness appears at the site of impact. In the future, a slight swelling may develop. If nothing else has alerted you, you should not worry: this is not a traumatic brain injury, but a bruise of the head tissues. In this case, it is necessary to give the child a cold compress and calm him down. Cold constricts blood vessels, stopping subcutaneous bleeding, has anti-inflammatory and some analgesic effect.

For a compress, an ice pack, a small plastic bottle of cold water, and any cold non-traumatic object will do. It must be wrapped in a diaper or towel, applied to the site of injury and held for 10-15 minutes. It is important that the exposure to cold be directed strictly to the bruised place - the surrounding tissues should not be affected. If the child does not allow the compress to be kept - he is naughty, dodges, - you can moisten a gauze napkin, bandage or piece of cloth in cold water and tie it to the damaged area. The bandage should be changed as it warms up for half an hour.

Loss of consciousness can be one of the symptoms of a brain injury. But for babies, this phenomenon is quite rare, and often it does not accompany even severe damage. This is due to the underdevelopment of the cerebellum and the vestibular apparatus as a whole in infants, which are responsible for the coordination of movements. You also can't tell if the baby is having a headache. Thus, the most characteristic signs of a traumatic brain injury in infants are:

  • loud cry as a reaction to pain;
  • increased motor activity, general anxiety or, conversely, lethargy and increased drowsiness;
  • vomiting, refusal of food;
  • pallor of the skin.

These signs are characteristic of a concussion. For a brain contusion of varying severity (damage to the medulla itself), the following symptoms are characteristic, in addition to the above (or without them):

  • eye rolling, temporary strabismus, or difference in pupil diameter;
  • loss of consciousness (it can be assumed if, after the fall, the baby did not cry immediately, but after one or several minutes).

There are three ways to evaluate a child's consciousness after a fall:

  • Eye opening (whether the baby opens his eyes himself, or to a loud sound, or to a painful stimulus, or does not open at all).
  • Motor reaction (here it is important to assess the movements of the baby: is there any motor activity at all, does he move his limbs in the same way, is the tone of individual muscles increased).
  • Verbal contact (whether the child is cooing, smiling, crying, moaning, or no voice).

You can make such an assessment a few minutes after the fall, when the baby has already come to his senses. Normally, he should move normally, coo (or utter syllables) and open his eyes in the same way as he always did.

A dangerous symptom is a temporary external improvement, when after sleep the external signs of trauma that were present earlier disappear in the child. But after that, the condition of the baby can deteriorate dramatically.

There are also open craniocerebral injuries, when the integrity of the bones of the skull, and possibly the dura mater, is violated. In this case, there is a risk of infection of the brain tissue.

Thus, there are a lot of signs of brain injury. Therefore, parents should be alerted by any deviation from the usual behavior of the baby. You need to see a doctor in any case if the child has fallen and hit his head. If everything was limited to a bruise of the soft tissues of the head without other pathological signs, you need to show the baby to a pediatrician and a neurologist in the clinic. If symptoms of a brain injury appear (especially loss of consciousness and lack of reactions to external stimuli - light, sounds), as well as with an open craniocerebral injury, an ambulance should be called immediately.

If a blow to the head was not accompanied by the appearance of dangerous symptoms (for example, loss of consciousness), the child should be shown to the pediatrician on the same day or, in extreme cases, the next day after the injury (you can call the doctor at home or bring the baby to the clinic). If necessary, the pediatrician will refer the baby for a consultation with other doctors (neurologist, traumatologist).

Delay in seeking medical help is fraught with a deterioration in the child's condition.

Before the arrival of the doctor

All that a mother can do before the doctor arrives is to calm the baby, put a cold compress on the site of the bruise and ensure peace for the baby. If a child has an open craniocerebral injury, you need to cover the damaged area with a sterile gauze bandage and urgently call an ambulance. With an open craniocerebral injury, cold cannot be applied.

When the doctor arrives, he will examine the child and, if necessary, take you and your baby to the hospital for additional tests and treatment.

TBI diagnostics

The first link in the diagnosis is an examination by a doctor. The doctor assesses the general condition of the child, his consciousness, the state of reflexes, physical activity, the integrity of the bones of the skull. The appointment of further studies depends on the preliminary diagnosis after examining the crumbs and on the capabilities of a particular medical institution. Sometimes only one study is enough to make a diagnosis, and sometimes, if doctors have doubts, they have to be done several at once.

If the large fontanel on the top of the baby has not yet grown over, it is possible to conduct neurosonography in a hospital or clinic - an ultrasound examination of the brain through a large fontanel. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is widely used in the diagnosis of brain pathologies. Currently, CT is the most reliable method for examining the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not related to X-rays, but is based on the absorbing abilities of magnetic fields. MRI provides a more contrast image of brain tissue than CT. However, CT and MRI are rarely prescribed for infants, since one of the conditions for their implementation is the complete immobility of the patient, which is almost impossible to provide with a small child. These studies for babies are possible only under anesthesia if absolutely necessary.

To assess the integrity of the bones of the skull, craniography (X-ray of the skull) is performed. Ophthalmoscopy - examination of the fundus - is an additional method of research. It allows you to identify signs of increased intracranial pressure, which is important for the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral edema.

Lumbar puncture is a more reliable diagnostic method for suspected intracranial hemorrhage. Liquor is taken with a needle inserted between the spinous processes of the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae. But during the puncture, the child must be motionless, since there is a risk of damage to brain tissue.

How is TBI treated?

Treatment is based on examination data and clinical studies. With concussion and bruises of the brain, treatment is usually medication. With a concussion, a baby is usually treated at home, and with bruises of the brain - in a hospital. As a rule, the child is prescribed drugs that have anticonvulsant, antispasmodic, hypnotic effects. Also, the crumbs will recommend rest for 4-5 days. The word “peace” for a baby should be understood as the absence of new impressions, limiting the number of people around to mom and dad, maintaining silence in the room where the baby is.

Consequences of TBI

After a concussion, the brain usually recovers within 1-3 months without any long-term consequences. With more serious injuries - bruises of the brain - the consequences depend on the severity of the damage. They can vary from dizziness and incoordination to increased intracranial pressure and epileptic seizures (convulsions with loss of consciousness).

The result of a severe injury may be psycho-emotional disorders (up to dementia) or movement disorders (for example, the inability to make any movements). With open craniocerebral injuries, there is a risk of infection of the brain tissue (encephalitis) and the development of meningitis - inflammation of the membranes of the brain.

If the baby does not hit his head ...

The first step is to quickly assess the condition of the child and examine the site of the bruise. If you saw the very moment of the fall, then finding the place of possible damage is not difficult. If you were not around, you should, if possible, reassure and carefully examine the baby.

We assess the situation. The site of the bruise can be seen by the characteristic redness that appears in the first seconds after the fall. Over the next few minutes, it is possible to increase the reddening of the skin, as well as the development of swelling, followed by the formation of a hematoma. A hematoma occurs when a large number of subcutaneous blood vessels rupture from impact, resulting in accumulation of liquid blood in the tissues, which has a red-burgundy color. A small hemorrhage cannot be called a hematoma - it's just a bruise (a bruise when a small number of subcutaneous blood vessels are damaged).

When the site of the bruise is found, you need to immediately make the baby a cold compress, as described above - in the section on TBI.

With a normal course, the hematoma decreases every day, and its color changes. A fresh hematoma is dark red, gradually turning blue, and then yellow. To speed up the resorption of the hematoma, you can use heparin-containing ointments that prevent blood clotting and, therefore, have a resolving effect, or make an iodine mesh, which has a similar effect.

Parents should be alerted by the reddening of the skin over the hematoma that suddenly appeared during the healing period (in the first 2-3 days after the injury), the baby’s general malaise, the rise in body temperature, the increasing pain at the site of the injury (the child in this case will begin to show anxiety, and when touched hematomas will respond with a sharp loud cry). All this may indicate suppuration. In this case, the baby must be urgently taken to the surgeon. He will open the hematoma so that the purulent contents can flow out, and apply a bandage.

If, after falling, the hematoma continues to increase in size, you should also urgently consult a surgeon, as this may indicate continued bleeding. If the baby remains restless with a visible bruise, it is better to consult a doctor, since the crumbs may have a bone crack. This phenomenon occurs in young children more often than a fracture. You can suspect a crack when swelling appears at the site of impact, and also if the baby starts to cry when you try to move his injured limb.

Inspecting the impact site, it is important to determine if there is a fracture. Its signs:
severe pain at the fracture site; if a limb is broken, it will be very painful for the baby to move it;
severe swelling and bruising at the fracture site;
change in the shape or length of a broken limb (shortening or lengthening);
limitation of limb mobility or, conversely, its excessive mobility;
crunching when moving the injured limb.

If one or more of these signs appear, you should call an ambulance. In this case, the injured area should, if possible, be immobilized, for example, with a stick or plank tied with any piece of tissue to a broken limb. If the child cannot calm down due to pain, you can give him an anesthetic based on PARACETAMOL or IBUPROFEN in accordance with the age of the baby and the dosage indicated in the instructions for the drug.
If there is an abrasion at the site of the bruise (this is possible when falling on an uneven floor), you need to do the following:

  • wash the wound with soap under running cool water;
  • treat damage with hydrogen peroxide;
  • treat the edges of the wound with an antiseptic solution (iodine or brilliant green);
  • dry the wound with a gauze cloth;
  • apply a sterile bandage: cover the injury site with a sterile napkin (it can be purchased at a pharmacy - the napkin is sold in a sealed package with the inscription “sterile”) and fix it with a bandage or adhesive tape. If there are no sterile dressings, you can use a bactericidal patch.

Fracture treatment

In the hospital, after the examination, the doctor may prescribe an x-ray, and then, depending on the severity of the damage, measures will be taken:
The imposition of a splint - one-sided gypsum in the form of a long strip - consisting of several layers of a plaster bandage, which is shaped into an injured limb and fixed with a bandage (for simple fractures without displacement of bone fragments).

An operation lasting several minutes under general anesthesia, followed by the application of a plaster cast (for fractures with displacement and comminuted fractures). During the operation, bone fragments are compared, which is necessary for a full restoration of function and the absence of complications after a fracture.

When applying a splint, you and your baby will need to visit a traumatologist for examination.
ra once a week - provided that redness does not appear under the bandage and there is no loss of sensitivity of the injured limb. (Parents should be alerted by blanching, as well as coldness of the injured limb relative to other parts of the body).

If an operation is required, then you and your baby will have to stay in the hospital for 3-5 days so that the doctors make sure that everything went well. Then the baby will be discharged home with a cast, and the traumatologist will observe him on an outpatient basis.

The gypsum, as well as the splint, are removed when the bone is completely fused, which can be checked by taking an x-ray. Depending on the location of the fracture, the duration of this period can range from 2 weeks (for example, with a fracture of the phalanx of the fingers) to 3 months (with damage to the bones of the lower limb and pelvis).

Prevent injury

As already mentioned, babies fall most often due to the fact that parents underestimate their capabilities. Very young, newly born children also fall - most often due to the fact that mothers leave them unattended on the changing table to run for cream or answer the phone. Making chaotic movements, the baby is able to move quite well, so in no case should you leave even a newborn child alone where he can fall. In order not to be absent during a diaper change, changing clothes, etc., prepare everything you need in advance. And if you need to answer the phone or open the door, it is better to take the baby with you or put it in a crib. Do not leave the baby unattended on an adult bed or sofa. Although their height is less than, for example, a changing table, for a small child this can be enough to cause serious injury.

It is also necessary to raise the side of the bed in a timely manner when the baby learns to roll over. And when the child starts to get up, it is necessary to lower the bottom of the crib - preferably to the lowest level, so that the baby cannot fall out, leaning over the sides.

In order to be able to leave the baby alone and not be afraid for his safety, you can purchase a playpen or make the floor in the room as safe as possible (remove wires, put plugs on sockets, remove all small and traumatic objects, put blockers on boxes that the baby can reach, protect sharp corners of furniture).

Statistics show that very often babies fall out of highchairs or strollers. Therefore, putting the baby on a chair, you should definitely fasten it with a five-point seat belt. A baby carriage should also be equipped with such belts, and you should definitely use them, even if the baby is constantly in your field of vision. After all, even if the mother is distracted only for a second, there is a risk that the child will fall. And the consequences of a fall, as we have seen, can be very severe.

A head injury can occur in both adults and children. But most often there are cases when it was the child who hit the back of the head. After all, children are distinguished by an enviably large supply of energy, which they throw out through jumping, running, climbing trees and similar children's fun. During such games, they often fall and hit their heads on a hard surface, whether it be asphalt, concrete floor or furniture. The consequences of a blow to the back of the head or just a head in both adults and children are relatively the same, so if you see that a person has symptoms of a bruise or concussion, he urgently needs first aid, because people in this state cannot fully control themselves.

If someone around you hit the back of the head or any part of the head, after which he experiences dizziness, nausea, feeling unwell, drowsiness - these are the first signs of a concussion. The injured person needs first aid, and then an emergency ambulance to prevent worsening of the condition.

The symptoms of head injuries are quite varied, but there are some that can be used to accurately determine which part of the head has been damaged. This is especially true for bruises on the back of the head. Damage to this area often leads to visual impairment, since the occipital region of the head is responsible for control in space.

Headbutt

When hitting the head, a strong pain is felt, which disappears after a while. When a person falls and hits any part of the head, within a few minutes a small “bump” forms at the site of the bruise as a result of tissue edema. This is what happens when you hit your head lightly. In more serious injuries, the following symptoms may occur:

  • drowsiness;
  • dizziness;
  • mild nausea;
  • split in the eyes;
  • partial numbness of the limbs.

Back of the head

With a strong blow to the back of the head, the following symptoms are observed:

  • vomit;
  • loss of consciousness lasting from several minutes to several hours;
  • speech problems;
  • temporary visual impairment; ;
  • numbness of all limbs for a while;
  • numbness of facial muscles.

First aid for head injury

First aid for a blow to the back of the head is necessary for the victim immediately after the incident, without waiting for the arrival of an ambulance. Of course, an ambulance also needs to be called, since in the future the wounded will need professional medical treatment. What to do in such a situation:

  1. Lay the injured person on the floor or sofa (depending on location) so that he remains at rest.
  2. Apply a compress to the site of injury. It can be a frozen product from the freezer or a piece of ice wrapped in a towel; also use a bottle of cool liquid. The compress should be applied for no more than 15 minutes, then removed for half an hour and applied again.
  3. If the victim experiences a feeling of nausea, then it must be turned on its side.

Note! You only need to do what will alleviate the condition of the wounded, but you should not give painkillers immediately after the bruise until the ambulance arrives. This can interfere with the examination and diagnosis of the injury.

Consequences of trauma to the head and its occipital part

The consequences of an injury to any head region are very serious. After all, the brain is located in the skull - an important organ that “manages” everything that happens in the body. Therefore, with his injury, there can be very serious consequences, namely:

  • unilateral agnosia. Such a diagnosis implies a complete non-perception of one of the sides of the visual space. For example, with a bruise on the left side, a person ceases to perceive the left side;
  • scattered attention, poor concentration, easy temper and irritability;
  • disruption of normal sleep;
  • memory impairment;
  • meteorological dependence (when the weather changes, well-being worsens);
  • depressive state;
  • frequent headaches, dizziness periodically appears;
  • occasionally a person loses consciousness or it gets dark in his eyes;
  • occasional hallucinations;
  • frequent headaches;
  • spasm of the neck muscles;
  • violation of blood pressure: with an increase, throbbing pains appear, and with low pressure, morning dizziness is observed;
  • poor performance.