What If My Child Hits His Head Hard?

Beats to the head are often common during childhood. Many of them, luckily, are nothing but a big scare. The child falls and, when his head hits the ground, it makes the same sound as a dry coconut makes with a similar hit. Some tears appear and after some caressing, kissing and cuddling, the child already forgets what happened.

When children start walking alone, they often fall down. Their gross psychomotor skills are not yet sufficiently developed for them to have efficient mobility.

At this stage, head banging can also be more frequent, especially for those children who are more hurried and want to “run” before walking.

Children who hit their heads when they start to walk usually don’t have serious consequences. These falls, as they are not very high, end up with a bump on the head and that’s it. Of course, unfortunately, not all endings are so happy. So if your child hits his head somewhere, take care of him and follow these recommendations.

What to do if your child hits his head

Mom, when your child hits his head, act as follows:

Observe your behavior for a few minutes

The first thing your child will do when he hits his head too hard or too little is what any kid would do: cry.

In the midst of so much crying, the family gathers around the child to comfort him and with so much caress and kisses, it is impossible to assess the situation. So when the child hits his head, you should wait a few minutes before rushing him to the hospital.

You need to watch the child’s reaction because it will be the post-fall symptoms that will tell you whether it is just a crash with no serious consequences or whether there is a possibility that the child has suffered a head injury.

If the child calms down with your cuddling and then continues to play without any other reaction that indicates possible brain damage, he is not at risk. In that case, you will continue to watch your child for a few hours to be sure.

Watch out for any of these symptoms

Symptoms associated with traumatic brain injury and which are reasons to rush to the nearest hospital after a child hits their head are as follows:

• Loss or decreased consciousness. In the latter case, even if your child is a year old, you already know him well. You are the person who can properly tell if he is disoriented or confused, if he is experiencing a decrease in consciousness.
• Excessive drowsiness.
• Rooster growth. If you notice the inflammation increasing in size, don’t just sit around at home. Take your child to an emergency room.
• Memory failure of both pre-beat and post-hit events. If you ask family members their names and the child cannot answer, it could be a sign of brain damage.
• Loss of balance. If the child is learning to walk, this symptom can be difficult to analyze.
• Vomiting.
• Visual changes. You can know this by asking the child, after he has calmed down, if he is seeing things well.

• Seizures.
• Some wound in the region of the strike.
• Speech difficulties. You know your child and you know the way he expresses himself, the language he has mastered and how he articulates his speech. If you notice any changes in your child’s communication, you can take this symptom into account.
• Motor dysfunction. This sign can be easily observed. You should watch your child as he walks and coordinate his movements. He will also be able to tell if he feels any weakness or numbness in any part of his body.
• Headache
• Bleeding from the nose or ears.

keep calm at all times

Mom, we know it’s hard to stay calm if you notice any of the symptoms we mentioned earlier in your child. However, for his sake, you must stay focused and know what you are doing at all times.

Even if your first reaction after your child hits his head is to cheer him up, as at this point you still don’t know if it’s a light hit or an injury, it’s recommended that you don’t move or shake him too much as this can be harmful.

If you focus on what just happened instead of changing yourself, you will find that you will need to watch your child for a few hours and be attentive.

Only by keeping calm can you find a way to help your child.