The child hit the back of his head on the floor. Consequences of what to do

Children are very energetic: they are constantly running, jumping, they like outdoor games. A healthy child should behave this way, however, due to carelessness, he may fall and hit the back of your head on the floor. The children's skull is not yet strong enough, and its bones can change their position as a result of a fall and impact. In this case, even minor injury can lead to serious illness.

First aid

If a parent knows how to provide first aid when a child falls, that is half of a successful treatment.

When neither mom nor dad knows what to do if their child fell and hit his head, you need to remember the following:

1. Immediately after the fall, you should inspect the place where the blow fell. It is important to understand the severity of your injury. And it doesn't matter what the child hit (the back of the head or forehead).
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2. First aid will be required as soon as possible.

The child hit the back of the head on the floor or other surface, object - this can lead to a hematoma or more serious consequences.

The actions of adults depend on what appeared on the bruised area:

Education	Description
Hematoma	If a hematoma has formed on the head after a blow, you need to take a piece of ice from the refrigerator and apply it to the sore spot. If ice is not at hand, you can use a container of cold water or moisten a cloth with water and apply it to your head. Applying a cold object for a few minutes will help reduce swelling and relieve pain.
Abrasion and bleeding	If an abrasion appears, you need to treat it with a piece of cotton wool dipped in hydrogen peroxide. This is to prevent infection from entering. If there is a lot of blood flowing from a wound and it cannot be stopped, you should seek immediate medical attention.
No visible damage	It is possible that no damage will be found on inspection. However, this does not mean that the head was not damaged. After all, injuries can be inside. You will need to monitor the child's condition, how he behaves. For example, he might start: often be capricious; get tired quickly; sleep longer; say he has a headache. If so, he probably suffered a concussion. If the condition worsens, it is necessary to go to the hospital, especially if it is accompanied by: nausea; vomiting; loss of consciousness.

Immediately after the child has hit, you need to give him rest. It is best to put him in bed and try to give him a lot of attention. It is important to make it clear that nothing terrible has happened and that soon he will be able to play again. You can, for example, read a fairy tale, while it is important to make sure that the child does not fall asleep. Otherwise, it will not be possible to determine the degree of damage and notice alarming symptoms.

You need to monitor the baby's behavior constantly for several hours, even if nothing unusual and suspicious is observed. You can wake him up at night to check his coordination.

If, after a few days, no suspicious symptoms are found, it means that the blow did not entail any complications.

Dangerous symptoms

The child hits the back of the head on the floor or other surface - this can lead to serious consequences.

This will be evidenced by the following symptoms:

• loss of consciousness;
• convulsions;
• continuous crying of the child;
• headache complaints;
• difficulties with speech and movement;
• vision problems;
• tiredness and drowsiness;
• too high activity;
• dizziness;
• hearing problems (the baby may not hear when they are spoken to);
• discharge from the nose and ears (it can be clear liquid or blood);
• vomit;
• wound with persistent bleeding;
• changed pupil sizes;
• numb body part;
• long sleep (the child is difficult to wake up).

It should be borne in mind that the presence of one symptom does not exclude the presence of others.

Where to go

If you have severe symptoms such as restless behavior, vomiting and loss of consciousness, you should call an ambulance right away. The child will be taken to the hospital for a thorough examination.

If the parents could not identify the above signs, but they still continue to worry that the child may be out of order, you can contact a pediatric neurologist, neurosurgeon, or traumatologist.

Diagnostics

Hitting the back of the child's head on the floor requires an immediate adult response. For any kind of trauma to the skull or head, the young patient will be hospitalized. In case of concussion and in especially severe cases, children are treated in the neurosurgical and neurological departments.

To assess the severity of the injuries received, doctors carefully examine the child, studying his condition:

• nervous system;
• eye;
• ears;
• vestibular apparatus.

In order to accurately diagnose, parents in the admissions department will be asked to describe in detail the condition of the child, which he had immediately after hitting his head.

The initial examination, which is carried out by a traumatologist, using an X-ray of the head in 2 projections, prevents bone fractures and, as a result, excludes indications for hospitalization. In some cases, the bones may not be damaged, but the brain is shaken.

To clarify the condition of the child, it is necessary to carry out a set of measures:

1. The young patient should be examined by a neurologist.
2. The child must be shown to an ophthalmologist. The main goal is to determine if there are symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.
3. You need to undergo neurosonography. With its help, it is possible to identify a violation of the symmetry of the external and internal fluid pathways, as well as to assess the displacement of the median structures of the brain. In some cases, neurosonography helps to identify foci of brain damage.

To find out if there was a head injury, research can be conducted:

• Ultrasound of the brain (if the child is less than 18 months old);
• CT (or MRI);
• electroencephalogram;
• lumbar puncture.

Treatment methods

After a blow, you need to try to take the child out into fresh air more often. However, it is better not to let him play active games. Walking in the park will have a positive effect on your brain. Other treatments depend on the child's symptoms.

Loss of consciousness

If you lose consciousness, you should immediately call an ambulance. While doctors are in a hurry to help, you need to put the child on its side so that with possible vomiting he does not choke on vomit.

If there is a suspicion that the spine has been damaged (for example, when falling from a great height), then turn the child on its side very carefully. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the body and head are located along the same axis.

Forehead dissection

It is dangerous when, as a result of the blow, a dissection of the forehead appeared and blood constantly flows from the wound. In this case, you need to stop the bleeding. For this, a bandage or other fabric is used, for example, a scarf, towel, diaper. Having applied the tissue to the damaged area, you need to hold it until the blood stops flowing out. Then an antiseptic should be applied to the wound and tightened with a bandage.

It is highly recommended to carefully examine the damaged area. If the wound is superficial and looks more like a scratch in appearance, then it is quite simple to treat it. If its width is more than 0.7 cm or its length is more than 2 cm, and its edges are uneven and the bleeding stops very difficult, then suturing will be required. This can only be done by a doctor.

The first 24 hours after hitting the head

It is important to diagnose in time the violations that have appeared as a result of a bruise. To do this, it is necessary to constantly monitor how the injured child behaves. This should be done especially carefully in the first 24 hours, even if no signs appear at first.

If the child's behavior seems normal, there are no alarming signs, you still should not allow the child to play outdoor games. Any physical activity is contraindicated, because they can lead to complications or to repeated falls and injuries.

It is not recommended to send your child to kindergarten or school. Better to leave him at home. But the main thing is that he is always under the supervision of adults.

Impaired consciousness and coordination

In the absence of visible external signs, it is imperative to check whether the child's coordination is not impaired. One of the most effective ways to check is to wake your baby up in the middle of the night and put him on his feet. If he maintains balance, then everything is fine with coordination.

In addition, it is worth asking the child something at the same time and listening to how he will answer. It doesn't matter what the question is and whether the answer is correct. It is important to monitor your speech. If she is not the same as before (for example, the child stutters or speaks very slowly), then you should be on your guard. If the baby is still a baby, then absent crying can be a bad sign.

Medication treatment

Head injuries that result in brain damage require specific treatment. In no case should you choose and give your child medications designed to relieve headaches on your own. Only a doctor should be involved in the selection of medicines.

The action of drugs can be aimed at reducing swelling, relieving pain or inflammation, and eliminating nausea and vomiting.

The only remedy that can be used without first consulting a doctor is hydrogen peroxide. This substance must be used to decontaminate the wound before dressing it.

If the blow did not entail serious damage to the skull and brain, then the use of folk methods and medicines purchased at the pharmacy is allowed. They will help speed up the resorption of the lump.

A mixture of iodine and alcohol will be quite effective. Both components are taken in the same volume.

Also, good results are given by special gels:

• "Rescuer";
• Troxerutin;
• Troxevasin;
• heparin ointment.

Traditional methods

A child hit the back of his head on the floor or was injured while resting in nature - this can end up unfavorably.

If you don't have the right gel on hand, you can use natural medicines.

There are many plants that are good for bruises. One of them is green onions. It is necessary to take its juice and apply to the damaged area. You can also make a compress from onion juice.

If after the fall there are minor injuries on the head - abrasions, scratches and small cuts, then you can attach a plantain leaf to them. Only first you need to knead it a little. This is done to extract the juice.

With inflammation, wormwood can contribute. This herb will also help relieve pain. The way to use it is quite simple: you just need to grind the freshly harvested grass and mix with water. Thorough mixing should result in a gruel. It should be applied to hematomas.

Possible consequences and complications

The most probable, but at the same time the mildest injury is soft tissue contusion. In this case, the brain will be unharmed. However, a blow can also cause an injury to the skull or brain. These injuries can be different. In the mildest cases, the child recovers completely. In severe injuries, important brain functions can be impaired. In the most severe cases, even a specialist will not be able to accurately predict how the disorders will develop.

The consequences of a fall depend on the place where the injury was received, as well as on the force with which the child hit and how old he is.

For example:

Impact area	Possible consequences
Frontal part	This part of the head is hard. Bones are strong here, but serious injuries can be life threatening. If a child trips while running, he usually falls on his forehead. The consequences of a bruise include compression of the brain. This is a very dangerous condition that develops with increased intracranial pressure. Its symptom is frequent and profuse vomiting, as well as periodic loss of consciousness. Moreover, most of the time, the child behaves normally.
Nape	Falling on a hard surface with the back of the head is more painful. It can have serious consequences even if the child falls from a small height. A fall with the back of the head may impair the child's eyesight. Indeed, in this area of ​​the head there are nerve endings that are responsible for vision. If they are damaged, the corresponding brain function will decrease. And if you do not take any measures in time, then the child can go completely blind. Also, as a result of a fall with the back of the head, the level of concentration may decrease. If one of the sides of the occipital lobe is damaged, the child may no longer be able to orientate normally in space. Such falls can lead to serious speech impairments such as delayed articulation and stuttering. After hitting a hard surface with the back of the head, a headache may appear. It can go away in a few days, but it can also take several weeks. Chronic migraines can occur in schoolchildren and adolescents due to overwork.

Head trauma can lead to:

• epilepsy;
• encephalitis;
• traumatic meningitis;
• intracranial hematoma, which eventually becomes a tumor.

During the fall, the child can injure not only the head, but also other parts of the body. For example, a dislocated leg may appear.

Children, due to their natural mobility, often fall and hit hard surfaces. Their body is designed in such a way that most of the injuries occur on the head. In most cases, this does not lead to serious consequences. However, it should be understood that any such fall on the floor or other hard surface can be very dangerous.

If you have a serious injury to the back of your head, you should immediately see a doctor. And even if there are no alarming symptoms for several hours after the impact discovered, you need to carefully monitor the child for a few more days and try not to leave him without adult supervision.

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