Facial or skull fracturesįacial and skull fractures often occur with trauma - such as when a kid or teenager gets struck in the face by a baseball or lacrosse ball or falls off their bike and hits their head. In some cases, a child might need an updated tetanus shot, as well. But if a child gets a deep cut on their head that won’t stop bleeding or if they cut themselves on something that is dirty - for example, a rock or piece of metal - then it’s a good idea to seek medical attention to get it thoroughly cleaned and evaluate possible interventions, whether that’s glue, staples or stitches. The rule of thumb for a cut on the head or scalp is pretty simple: If you can control the bleeding and clean the wound thoroughly, then you might be able to manage the cut at home. Additionally, if your baby or toddler is crying uncontrollably, vomiting repeatedly, can’t stay alert or has fluid or blood draining from their ears or nose, seek emergency care. A bulging fontanelle when a baby is not crying or lying down may indicate a more serious medical issue, such as bleeding or pressure in the brain that could result from a fall. Wilson recommends seeking out medical care.įor babies and toddlers, make sure to monitor their soft spots, or fontanelles, after any bumps or falls. However, if the bump gets bigger over time or new swelling or bruising appears around the face, behind the ears or under the eyes, this could be a sign of something more serious. In this case, if the child is acting normal, it’s OK to call your pediatrician or healthcare provider for advice and monitor the child at home. If you put some ice or a cold washcloth on it, usually the bump will start to go down. When a child bumps their head, it’s likely that the goose egg will appear quickly. “But other parts - our temples, behind our ears, the nose, cheekbones - are a bit more fragile.” Wilson says, noting that forehead bumps are quite common, especially for toddlers and younger children. “Generally, the forehead is pretty resilient for children ages 2 and older,” Dr. But for kids over age 2, consider the location of the injury before deciding whether or not to seek care. For infants and toddlers under the age of 2, any scalp hematoma or bump on the head should be evaluated since their skulls are still soft. Bumps on the headĮvery child will get a bump on their head at some point. This includes minor injuries, such as bumps or goose eggs, superficial scratches or cuts and bruising on the surface (otherwise known as contusions), as well as more serious injuries, such as cuts that won’t stop bleeding, facial or skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions. Generally, pediatric head injuries encompass any injuries that occur to the scalp, skull and brain. Head injuries in kids can be wide-ranging in both severity and scope. Wilson to provide an overview of common pediatric head injuries, concerning signs and symptoms to look out for, prevention tips and when and where to seek care. To help guide parents and caregivers through this tricky topic, we asked Dr. And it can be hard to know what is happening that moment.” And sometimes you do weird things because there's a more significant injury to the brain - it's bleeding, it's swelling, there’s a fracture. “When you hit your head, sometimes you do weird things because of the response that your body has: the stress, the shock, the pain. “Head injuries can be scary, especially when a child does something unusual after they hit their head,” says Julie Wilson, MD, pediatric sports medicine physician and co-director of the Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado. That percentage increased to 5.8% for children 6-11 and 12.2% for 12- to 17-year-olds. Breaking it down by age, only 2% of children under age 5 reported symptoms of a concussion or brain injury. According to data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020, 6.8% of all children reported symptoms of a concussion or brain injury at some point in their lifetime. While many head injuries in kids are not serious and do not require emergency medical treatment, the likelihood that a child experiences a significant head injury increases as they get older. Whether it’s a toddler bumping their head while learning to walk, an elementary schooler falling off their bike or a teenager getting knocked down during a sports game, most, if not all, kids will experience a pediatric head injury at some point. ![]() Yet these injuries seem somewhat like a childhood rite of passage. There are few things more worrying to parents than when a child sustains a head injury.
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