6 month old fell off bed onto head

[QueenEagle]

ds4 was being held by dd and she lost her grip on him. He fell forward onto the top of his head. He has a red mark where he landed on the top/front of his head on his hairline.

What's the latest advice on keeping babies awake after banging their heads? He cried straight away and seems grisly now. I really don't want a trip down to A&E but I will of course if it's necessary - what does anyone else think?

[nutcracker]

Did he fall on to carpet ??

[QueenEagle]

Yes it is a carpeted floor.

[Hulababy]

You could phone NHS Direct for further advice.

Not sure with babies but I know with toddlers at nursery, our nursery teachers told us that children are no longer kept awake if it is their normal nap times. They are now recommended to just check on them regularly instead.

Think it is things like being flopp, lethergic at non nap times, being sick, that type of thing to look out for.

Hope ds4 is okay.

[compo]

I would ring NHS Direct for up-to-date advice

[compo]

snap Hulababy!!!

[QueenEagle]

NHS Direct err so much on the side of caution that they'd probably send an ambulance within secinds!

My instinct is that he is ok, although he has just refused his bottle. Will try again and keep an eye on him.

dd is a bit upset as I ranted at her for not concentrating on holding him prroperly.

[SaintGeorge]

There is a head injury flowchart here but I don't know how useful it is for babies rather than older kids.

Current advice is to let them sleep if they want to, but try to rouse them hourly. As long as they react to stimuli you can let them keep sleeping.

If it is any consolation/reassurance DH once dropped one of our kids onto the tiled hearth, head first from about 2 ft up. No injury! Skulls really are amazingly resilient.

[Hulababy]

From NHS site:

Even a minor head injury can have symptoms including:

nausea,
headaches,
eye problems (e.g. double vision),
dizziness,
memory problems,
extreme tiredness, and
anxiety and depression (while recovering).


Signs of serious head injuries, concussion, etc:

Lasting headache that gets worse or is still present over six hours after the injury;
Extreme difficulty in staying awake, or still being sleepy several hours after the injury. It is fine to let children go to sleep after a slight bump to the head, but you should check on them regularly and make sure you are able to wake them.
Nausea and vomiting several hours after the injury;
Unconsciousness or coma;
Unequal pupil size;
Confusion, feeling lost or dizzy, or difficulty making sense when talking;
Pale yellow fluid or watery blood, coming from the ears or nose (this suggests a skull fracture);
Bleeding from the scalp that cannot be quickly stopped;
Not being able to use part of the body, such as weakness in an arm or leg;
Difficulty seeing or double vision;
Slurred speech; and
Having a seizure or fit.

If any of these symptoms are present, particularly loss of consciousness (even for a short period of time), you should call an emergency ambulance.

[QueenEagle]

Hulababy and StG - thanks, much appreciate the link and info.

He has just had his bottle after fussing for a bit. He still has a red mark, and I should imagine he will have a bit of a fuzzy head for a while too.

[Janh]

More consolation, possibly - DS1 once fell in his bouncy chair off the kitchen table (I know, I know ) face-first on to the concrete floor. The guilt.

IIRC he didn't even cry - there was just this stunned silence and he was fine afterwards. (He has quite a large head so prob thick skull )

[albosmum]

ds1 and ds2 have both fallen many times. On the whole if it is carpet and floorboards and the bed is not to high we have been told not to worry unless he vomits

If its a concrete floor it might be different