What You Need to Know About Childhood Head Injury
HEAD INJURY is incredibly common in kids as we just can’t bubble wrap them, and nor should we, they will explore and fall and the fact is, their skull does a wonderful job at protecting their brains 🧠
BUT our skull is also a hard structure (once the Fontanelles have fused over ~ the soft spots on an infant's head where the bony plates that make up the skull have not yet come together) encasing a soft organ, so any internal swelling can cause damage if it presses against that hard structure.
So this summer, save this post to refer back to if you find yourself in a situation where your little person bangs their head.
My hope is this gives you confidence on when to escalate care and what signs to look for.
objective
The main objective when caring for a child after head injury is the identification of any serious injury and the minimisation of ‘secondary injury’, the injury that can occur AFTER the initial time of impact, damage to the brain that occurs afterward. such as cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) or raised intracranial pressure (increased pressure within the skull).
common in children
A head injury. is any kind of damage to the scalp, skull, brain, or other tissue and blood vessels in the head.
This type of injury is very common in children and very few are associated with brain injuries. A minor brain injury is similar to bruising on other parts of the body. Symptoms usually last for 7-10. days.
Head injuries are classified as mild, moderate or severe. Many head injuries are mild, and simply result in a small lump or bruise. Mild head injuries can be managed at home, but if your child has received a moderate or severe injury to the head, they need to see a doctor.
Most common. causes of head injury in children are falling, sports injuries, a motor vehicle accident and child abuse.
symptoms of a mild head injury in a child
Raised, swollen area from a bump or bruise
Small, shallow cut in the scalp
Headache
Sensitivity to noise and light
Irritability or abnormal behaviour
Confusion
Lightheadedness or dizziness
Problems with balance
Nausea
Problems with memory or concentration
Change in sleep patterns
Blurred or double vision
Eyes that look tired
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
caring for head injuries at home
how do i know if i should see a doctor?
Changes to watch for include:
Unusual sleepiness - your child is very drowsy or. you can’t wake them up completely
Jerking movements of arms, legs or face - “a fit”
Severe headache, that Paracetemol does not relieve
Vomiting - more than once
Confusion ot unusual behaviour
Blurred vision or slurred speech
Inconsolable crying or fussiness
Balancing difficulties when sitting or walking being unresponsive
If. your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms, or has any significant swelling over the site of the injury, you should take them to the doctor right away.
If you are concerned about any other physical or mental symptoms, you know your child best, so use your intuition.
you do not need to be concerned if...
For a few days after a head injury it is normal for your child to:
Feel a little unsteady
Not feel like playing with one thing for long or doing schoolwork/homework
Be a little bit grumpy
Seem to need more sleep than usual
Complain of a bit of a headache
Dislike loud noises.
All these things should normally get a bit better as each day passes.
when to call an ambulance
your child has had a head injury involving high speeds or heights greater than 1m, eg, car crashes, high-speed skateboard accidents or falling from playground equipment
your child loses consciousness (passes out)
your child seems unwell and vomits more than once after hitting their head.
