What accidents would make you take child to hospital?

[Mobydick100]

My 7 month old was sitting up on the floor and fell backwards on to wooden floor (that was covered in a play mat but it's not very thick). He was very upset for a few minutes - now back to his normal self. I'm not taking him to hospital but trying to work out when I would as guessing he will have more little accidents as he learns to crawl and walk. Would anyone take baby in this situation? How do you figure out when to take them to be checked over?

If they bang their head and vomit. Or lose consciousness.
If they get very deep cut that may need to be glued/stitched.
If they fall on a limb and no longer put weight on it (won't stand on that leg etc) as it was be a fracture.

*as it may be a fracture.

All of the above are situations that I have had with my child and all of them needed hospital attention.

If they lose consciousness after a fall involving a bang to head, or any other signs of concussion - sleepiness, dizziness after a head injury.

If you suspect something is broken or dislocated i.e stop moving a limb (my son has had a ‘pulled’ elbow that has had to be clicked back into place - he went quiet and pale and would’nt use his arm).

If they bang their head and immediately go to sleep at a time when they normally wouldn't be sleepy.

DD had a phase from around 8 months (when she had learned to sit unaided but not reliably) to around 10 months (learning to crawl) when she seemed to have multiple falls a day that would hurt and/or lead to a visible bump. She's been a lot better of late but I'm expecting the frequent incidents to make a comeback as she's about to walk!

The only time I've taken her to be checked was after she fell off the bed and landed with a very loud thump of the back of her head hitting the laminate flooring. She was quiet afterwards and I just needed the reassurance that there wasn't anything serious going on.

Suspected broken/dislocated/staved limbs or digits.

Bleeding through 3xlayers of gauze in under 5 minutes.

Screaming in pain after a fall or knock backwards.

Obvious signs of breathing distress, allergic reactions etc.

A fall from a height greater than their length.

So, in this case, definitely not, unless he was showing signs of being upset.
This is why babies have soft skulls.

So, I'd take to hospital if:
difficulty breathing
not waking up
broken limb or bone
fall from a great height
red spots that don't disappear with the glass test/ also clammy cold hands
large cut, particularly if it looks like in need of proper cleaning or stitches
blood coming out of anywhere (except cuts)
swelling around neck or lower face

A very hard bang to the head.

Ds2 landed on his forehead on concrete, after a fall of about 4 foot. He had the most horrendous bump I've ever seen (think two boiled eggs, side by side, stuck to the front of your head, and black/blue/yellow/purple within seconds). He was fine, but a bank that hard needs seeing to.

Most general bumps though do not.

Basically if they’re not themselves after an accident.

Most of them time there’s a bump, and a cry, and a cuddle, and a quick recovery. No need for A&E.

But if they’re knocked off. Or have a cut that requires closing. Or they’re not eating or playing or whatever.

Change of function, or need for medical intervention, basically.

Any head injury
Trapping fingers in doors
Getting poked in the eye and not being able to open it afterwards

That's just my 4!

ups, sorry, my list had more than accidents.

Regarding bumps to head, I've been twice with DS for accidents.

One when he was about 1 year old and fell down head first from his cot late at night.

The other when he banged his head while cycling against the stone corner of a doorway and made a big cut on his forehead on a weekend.

Oh, accident wise, I'd also go if my child almost drowned or swallowed water and later showed distress signals. They could have complications.

Any serious bumps that resulted in an actual change of behaviour beyond normal crying. So drowsiness, quietness etc. Even then I suspect I would still ring the GP first as ours is 5 mins away and will always fit babies in immediately.

Anything I suspected to be broken, or any serious cuts.

DD is 16 mo and had lots of accidents, lots of bumps, falls and black eyes and never yet been to hospital, because IMO she didn't need to. I took her to the GP when she got bitten by a random animal, breaking the skin whilst out on a walk (won't name the animal as it's so random it's a bit outing ) and rang the GP for advice when DP fell downstairs holding her at 3mo and she grazed her head on the way down.

SIL on the other hand has freaked out at virtually every bump and my DN has been taken to hospital to be checked over on numerous occasions, and any time they have had a temperature. they have been totally fine each time.

I suspect the MN ideal is probably somewhere between SILs approach and mine.

I have been to a&e on four occasions with DD1 (4). The first she fell off a changing table on to her head (she was fine, we just panicked), second she fell and wouldn’t put any weight on her leg (it was fractured), the third she fell and wouldn’t put any weight on her leg again! (no fracture, they think she was just scared to put weight on it because of her previous experience) and the fourth when she ran at full pelt into a door frame and vomited.
DD2 (nearly 3) has had many minor accidents but none have warranted a hospital visit.

(Head first into the door frame I mean)

When my daughter fell down the stairs she cut her head open but I was told at the hospital a fall from greater than thier height needs a gp or A&E visit

I think there has to be some common sense with that rule as well though pretty as clearly a fall from greater their height into a ball pool at soft play, or onto a carpet face first (e.g hands out and didn't bang head, but perhaps grazes chin) is an entirely different situation to falling from the same height backwards onto concrete or tiles and hitting their heads.

Most people (including you I'm sure) recognise that but people like my SIL don't and if given guidelines like that would panic in the firstbteo scenarios and go to get DN checked out at hospital even if they weren't at all hurt.

My 16 mo DD forward rolled down about 4-5 carpeted stair steps yesterday (so probably about 3ft) onto a carpeted landing. I was right behind her but for whatever reason she decided just to launch herself forward after managing the same stairs safely herself for months. We both got a bit of a shock and she cried for about 30 seconds but she was absolutely fine almost immediately afterwards. It never crossed my mind to seek further medical attention.

Yes that's a fair point I should have included. So many variables type of flooring, and the way they fall to I've known ppl slip or fall from a tiny height but land in awkward ways and cause serious damage. If you're in any way worried seek advise and maybe look into a first aid course our kids school ran one that covered all the main accidents and illness of was great.