- When to go to the hospital
- What to do if the child does not breathe
- How to prevent the child from hitting the head
Most of the time, the falls are not serious and in the place where the head was hit, there is usually only a slight swelling, known as "bump", or hematoma that usually goes away in 2 weeks, not being necessary to go to the emergency room. or consult your pediatrician. However, there are situations in which it requires more attention and the child should be taken to medical care urgently.
Children are more likely to fall, because they are growing and the head tends to be proportionally heavier than the body. It is also common for children to want to explore more environments, and therefore fall more often and hit their heads.
When the child falls and hits the head, it is due to:
- Try to calm the child, keeping speech as calm as possible; Observe the child for 24 hours to see if there is swelling, deformity or unusual behavior; Apply cold compress or ice to the area of the head where it hit, for about 20 minutes, repeating about 1 hour later; Apply an ointment, such as hirudoid, for hematoma, on the following days.
Generally, with the application of ice and ointment, the hematoma will disappear within 2 weeks after the fall. However, if the child has a clotting problem or is undergoing any treatment that causes a reduction in platelets, it is necessary to seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if the blow was apparently mild. See more tips in the following video:
When to go to the hospital
After the child hits the head, call 192 or seek emergency medical attention if the following situations occur:
- Loss of consciousness; Vomiting immediately after the fall or even hours later; Excessive crying that does not stop even with the mother's affection; Difficulty moving an arm or leg; Breathless or very slow breathing; Complaints of altered vision; Difficulty walking or limping; Purplish eyes; Apathetic reactions.
Some of these signs may indicate that the child has suffered a head injury and it is therefore important to start treatment as soon as possible to avoid sequelae.
In addition, it is important to go to the doctor if the child has a bleeding injury, an open wound, or when a fracture is suspected, and in some cases, it is necessary to take stitches on the head or and have tests done to identify if there is no injury, such as an MRI scan. magnetic. See more how MRI is done.
It is important not to forget to take the child's documents, explain exactly what happened to him and inform the doctors if he has any type of allergy.
What to do if the child does not breathe
In cases where the child hits the head, becomes unconscious and does not breathe, it is important to follow the following steps:
- Call 192 immediately, notifying what happened, location and name; Call for help to other people who are in the same place; Permeabilize the airways, that is, the child's chin must be raised; Start cardiac massages, using one hand in the center of the chest of children over 1 year old and in babies it is necessary to use the two thumbs; If you have a pediatric pocket mask, take 2 breaths after every 30 cardiac massages.
During cardiac massage it is important to check the chest movements, as this is what determines the quality of these maneuvers. It is also important to remember that you need to repeat these steps until the ambulance arrives or the child breathes again.
How to prevent the child from hitting the head
To prevent a fall and prevent a child from hitting the head, some precautions must be taken, such as preventing babies from being alone on the bed, not placing the baby comfort on very tall counters or benches, supervising young children when they are in car seats. eat and in carts.
It is also important to protect windows with bars and screens, to supervise children in places that have a ladder and to ensure that older children wear helmets when riding bicycles, skates or skateboards .
