How Are Child Brain Injuries Treated?
Help! Your child has just taken a big fall in the playground and hit her head. What do you do now? Always a difficult question. Do you rush to the emergency room or put an ice pack on and assume she’ll be fine?
The safest option is to call your child’s doctor if you think the injury was moderate to severe. If you are concerned about a mild injury, there is no shame in contacting a medical professional just to be sure. Click on this link for a good checklist of what to do when a child falls and injures her head.
If your child’s head injury is bleeding, the most important step is to stop the bleeding. Apply pressure and the bleeding should stop within 10 minutes. If it doesn’t, contact a physician about getting stitches. Most likely, the injury will result in a bump on the head. To reduce this, apply an ice pack for 20 minute periods. While most swelling reduces quickly, it may take up to a week to disappear completely. If your child complains of a headache, the best medicine is Tylenol® and lying down.
Sleeping or lying down after a head injury is okay. Be sure to monitor your child while she sleeps. Look for discoloration, breathing difficulties, seizure symptoms, or an inability to wake up. Keep an extra attentive eye on your child for the first 24 hours after the injury.
Be aware of any abnormal complaints by your child, especially of a stiff neck, forgetfulness, or inability to walk normally. If she cries uncontrollably or refuses to be consoled for an extended period of time, this may indicate a more serious injury. Here is more information on what to look for in monitoring your child after a head injury.
Seek medical care in certain situations such as unconsciousness, worsening pain, seizures, or trouble with vision. Here is a link to an extensive list of symptoms for which a doctor should be consulted.
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