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Children's health

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Original poster

baby is 4 1/2 months old & was in car accident at weekend

15 replies

Folicky · 20/08/2014 15:49

Me & my baby were in a car accident at the weekend. I was turning left onto a road and hit a car travelling in the same direction as I was going but that I didn't see. It was dark early on sat night and to me the guy didn't have his lights on. My car is damaged in the front left hand corner so on the passenged side - bith around the light and side panel are damaged on my car - other driver's car undamaged by was a pretend offroader and mini one at that. He was going at jusr under 30 mph and me under 10. Baby was in the back of the car on the passenger side of the car. He seemed okay at the time was taken to the out off hours doctor wuthin an hour and given the all clear although I was told to monithow to they decide on the presence of a head injury and she said the nature of the accident and the signs and symptoms the child displays.r for 24 hrs. Two days later we had a GP apmt anyway do Dr gave him the once over again. I am concerned about a head injury not a broken bone im satisfied that hasn't happened. This second Dr told me babies were less prone to head injuries as their skull is not rigid yet but a series of plates . I looked this up when I got back and it's wrong babies are more prone to head injuries because their heads are disproportionately heavy and some protective interior ridges of the skull have not fully forned yet.

Essentially both of these Drs tested for significant concussion and significant head unjury. I'm worried about a mild head injury. My baby isn't listless and sleepy but is making fewer sounds and moving less. Usually he's a wriggley worm and always babbling and touching my face, try to chew on my chin etc. I went to A&E today and really they did the same tests...I've just processed what has happened on the drive home and come to the realisation that they were all testing for something I also thought hadnt happened so the encounters weren't reassuring. Today I asked the paediatric A&E Drs outright if she thought he had a mild head injury and she said no but this was unconvincing. I then asked

OP posts:

Original poster

Folicky · 20/08/2014 15:51

how they determine the likely presence of a head injury and she said the circumstances of the accident and the signs and symptoms the child is displaying. I don't think that means she used that to judge my situation, rather I think my previous question prompted this reflection on her behalf.

Anyway, why is it important to me - because there is a body of opinion which suggests that you need to care for your child differently even after a mild head injury eg reducing their engagement in contact sports in later life etc. Also I'm distraught thinking I have caused damage to my child

What should I do, go back, go private, implement the recommendations no matter how far reaching anyway? Id love them to assess for mild head injury, andvif he hasn't got this explain why his behaviour has changed? Also Tell me how I should manage it.

As regards you guys, any advice esp from anyone who has been involved in a similar accident with a baby or who works in the field - would be appreciated

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Pootles2010 · 20/08/2014 15:54

I understand that you're worried, this is perfectly natural. But honestly, three doctors have said your baby is fine!

I would keep an eye on him, but he sounds fine to be tbh.

PotteringAlong · 20/08/2014 15:55

It must have been a horrible shock for you but 3 different doctors have checked your baby over and said that they are fine. You've asked the paediatric dr outright if there's a mild head injury and they've said no .

The change of behaviour could be beacause of a cold / teething / responding to you being anxious / growth spurt / just a phase. It doesn't mean anything is wrong.

Squtternutbaush · 20/08/2014 16:03

He's been checked by 3 people on 3 separate occasions all saying he's fine do try not to worry about it. It sounds like a minor bump and I assume he was well strapped into his car seat so the likelihood is that as others have said, he is fine.

The change in behaviour could be down to lots of things one of which could be that he is reading your emotions and becoming anxious himself but from what you describe he sounds fine.

Have you thought about replacing his current car seat BTW? Even minor bumps can cause damage to the shell of the seat.

MyFairyKing · 20/08/2014 17:36

I understand you've had a big shock, so be kind to yourself. You're over thinking this though. He has been checked and I'm not sure what you mean by further "assessment for a mild head injury". What sort of assessment are you hoping for?

Original poster

Folicky · 20/08/2014 22:40

As regards you guys, any advice esp from anyone who has been involved in a similar accident with a baby or who works in the field - would be appreciated

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Original poster

Folicky · 20/08/2014 22:41

As regards you guys, any advice esp from anyone who has been involved in a similar accident with a baby or who works in the field - would be appreciated

OP posts:

Original poster

Folicky · 20/08/2014 22:54

Have bought new car seat
by assessment of mild HI I mean HIs that are not severe enough to cause seizures, vomiting & sleepiness but on a continuum with these. My little boy is not sleepy but docile, sitting like a little placid mouse on my knee when he's usually active, whooping etc and he's smiling and friendly with strangers when normally he would be wary and looking for me, it's like he's back where he was 2 months ago.

I think I might be overthinking this so potential reality check appreciated but he's like a different baby and thanks for the understanding, I'm sad that I've done this to him and he hasn't even been in my care for 5 months

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Pootles2010 · 21/08/2014 09:39

You are overthinking it! You haven't done anything to him, you're doing a grand job. You have had advice from 3 doctors working in the field, I promise they know what they're talking about.

I hope I'm not overstepping the mark here, but have you been feeling a bit anxious generally yourself?

BringMeSunshine2014 · 21/08/2014 09:54

You are over thinking it - but you are his mum & that's part of the job description It is, however, time to let it go.

He is 4.5 months old, they change all the time. He isn't 'back where he was 2 months ago' he's like he is 'now'. Next week he'll be different again. They're funny little creatures who take a lot of their cues from their Mum's - so if anything, it's your anxiety he's picking up on. They're funny little creatures :)

It was a very small bump and he was in a very protective car seat. Babies regularly fall off of beds, down a stair or two, out of their highchairs/buggies/bouncers, even over a shoulder! If everyone who had a tiny bump like your DS did, didn't do contact sport then there wouldn't be anyone playing anything!!

It was an accident you didn't 'do this to him' - it's not as if you threw him on the floor or shook him.

Your DS is & will be fine but if you want to get him checked out by anyone else, I would take him to a cranial osteopath who specialises in babies.

I am far more worried about you. Your reaction is out of proportion to what has actually happened and you aren't letting yourself be reassured by professionals. I think you should go and see your GP and see if you have post natal depression. It's hormonal and nothing to be worried, embarrassed, scared about - but the sooner you get treatment for it the better and that's better for you and your DS.

Try to relax today and enjoy your lovely wee boy

Original poster

Folicky · 21/08/2014 12:29

Thank you, I do find the responses helpful to a fair degree. Thanks for taking the time to write other parents x

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BringMeSunshine2014 · 21/08/2014 13:23

You are welcome :)

Obviously you are still worried, so I hope you can find someone to reassure you - and please, do consider asking your GP about PND

tigerlily83 · 21/08/2014 14:34

Hi Folicky,

Sounds soo scary I live in London and this is a constant worry with all the traffic, I hope you both are back to normal soon.

I can not comment on the head injury (would be wrong to I am not a medic)
but have you considered that the little one might be suffering from a form of shock? little ones are very sensitive to their mums distress, and obviously the crash followed by the doctor visits might be affecting him in a more emotional level.

Glad that you are not worse injured meanwhile.

Take care.

Original poster

Folicky · 24/08/2014 14:22

Just a bit of an update. A main reason why I was so worried was I just couldn't understand how a baby could not have experienced some damage due to the physics of a collision and forces therein - this is why I explained the speed of both vehicles, the fact that we were both travelling in more or less the same direction, that it was a glancing blow or side-swipe type collision rather than head-on, that the airbags didn't deploy etc. I always knew my baby didn't have a moderate or severe head injury and that he did not need emergency care, but I was worried about a milder head injury and the management implications. I've decided to post some of the information which I've found helpful in case it may benefit others in a similar situation.

Rear facing car seats greatly reduce the force on your baby's neck in the event of a collision - in fact relative to front facing, rear facing reduces the force by around 75% by distributing it along the back of the seat. As an example, when a collision occurs at 50 km/h (31 mph) the stress inflicted on the neck of a child that weighs 15 kg and is seated in a forward facing position will be the equivalent of 180-220 kg. If the child instead is seated rear facing, the stress would be reduced to 40-60kg. At the same time the car seat will protect the child from debris flying around in the car. (From besafe website)

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Original poster

Folicky · 24/08/2014 14:40

Because the collision was glancing rather than front on and I remember my car moving for a while after the impact rather than being stopped by it indicates less force of the collision being transferred to the passenger as the transfer of kinetic energy is incomplete with a granting blow.
Because my car continued moving (so did their's - we were both travelling in the same direction) means there will be a longer impact distance which will result in less damage because the vehicle’s kinetic energy is spent over a larger surface area. .

Before I went to see the 3rd doctor I spoke to the out-of-hours GP service again and the Dr there was assessing the accident and added the speeds of both vehicles together, which is the correct thing to do. Anyhows I found the information above helpful and it may be of use to others

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