Dr. Komarovsky about what to do if the child hit his head

Children are inquisitive and restless, and therefore no one succeeds in avoiding injuries, falls and bruises. In the process of learning the world, babies fall quite often. But if the fall on the ass or back does not cause panic attacks in parents, the situation changes dramatically if the child has hit his head. An authoritative pediatrician, the author of numerous books and articles on children's health, Yevgeny Komarovsky, tells us how dangerous such falls are and when you need to start worrying.

The head of a small child is designed in such a way that it is relatively large compared to the rest of the body, so the kids most often lose their balance and fall on the head. But there is also a positive one: the child’s brain is reliably protected from injury in the fall. If a small child fell from the sofa upside down, then the greatest injury (psychological quality) was received by his parents, and not himself. The bones of the infant's skull are very soft, and the “spring” and dynamic “seams” between the bones of the skull provide them with mobility. The more spring, says Yevgeny Komarovsky, the less likely it is that you will be injured if you fall upside down. In addition, nature came up with another shock-absorbing mechanism - a large amount of cerebrospinal fluid.

If a child at 6-7 months, when he becomes more mobile, turned over unsuccessfully and fell from the sofa or changing table, do not immediately panic. The kid, of course, will shout heart-rending. But parents should understand that he is not crying from terrible pain, but more from the fright caused by the sudden movement in space. If a crumb in half an hour smiles, gulits and leads a habitual way of life for him, nothing has changed in his behavior, then there are no reasons for the anxieties, the doctors' examinations, Komarovsky asserts.

Most often, children up to one year old begin to fight with their heads when they master the first steps. This usually occurs after 8-9 months. That is why it is important that the baby first learned to crawl, and only then stand and walk.

Of course, a child who has hit his head requires more careful attention from the parents. It is advisable to ensure the rest of the child, do not give him a lot of running, play active active games, scream loudly. The first day will show if the kid has an injury. For this, parents like two and two must know the symptoms of head injuries.

It does not matter the age and sex of the child, the height at which he fell head first, the size of a bruise or bumps on his forehead, and the presence or absence of abrasions and blood. All moms and dads should know that in all situations involving the presence of a head injury, the child needs qualified medical assistance.

The presence of injury can be suspected if a child has a clouding of consciousness, loss of consciousness of any duration and frequency. Observation is very important, as parents who know the peculiarities of their child’s behavior will be able to notice changes in their behavior in time. Any inappropriate changes may indicate a possible head injury.

If the child stops falling asleep normally, or, conversely, sleeps unusually long, he has a headache, and it does not go away even after an hour and a half after falling, you should seek qualified medical assistance.

Discharges from the nose and ears, whether they are bloody, succinic or transparent and colorless, are a clear reason to suggest an injury.

Symptoms of injury can also be various disorders in the functioning of the sense organs. (hearing loss, blurred vision, complete, and maybe partial lack of response to tactile contact). A child may begin to complain that he is cold or hot. Evgeny Komarovsky advises to pay attention to each of these symptoms.

This is a fairly simple traumatic brain injury, in which a child may lose consciousness, but such a loss will be short-lived (no more than 5 minutes), nausea, dizziness may occur.. The brain is not damaged, but with concussion, some functions of the brain cells are temporarily disrupted. Dr. Komarovsky claims that this is the easiest consequence of falling on his head, because after a couple of days the brain functions normalize and the child’s condition returns to normal.

This is a trauma in which the membranes of the brain are damaged directly, as well as its deeper structures with the formation of hematoma and the appearance of edema. How long the state of unconsciousness will be, affects the degree of injury, it can be mild, moderate and severe. At the first degree, the symptoms are similar to a concussion, only an unconscious state in a child can last more than 5 minutes. The average severity of injury is characterized by the duration of fainting from 10-15 minutes to an hour or a little more. In severe form, consciousness may be absent for several hours or several weeks.

This is an extremely dangerous condition, when a head injury results in compression inside the skull. With this pathology, vomiting occurs, which has a protracted and repeated nature. Periods of loss of consciousness are replaced by the so-called "bright" periods, when the child behaves normally, not showing signs of brain damage. Such periods can last up to 48 hours.

If the child fell, hit his head and there was a cut of skin or hair, while the child did not lose consciousness. and in a day there is no sign of injury, it is not necessary to take him to the doctor, says Yevgeny Komarovsky. It is enough to treat the wound with an antiseptic, apply ice to the site of external injury. With an extensive wound (more than 7 mm), it is necessary to contact the emergency room, the child will be given a few stitches, and this treatment can be considered complete.

If the child fell, hit the back of his head or forehead on the floor, and the parents immediately or several hours later discovered signs of injury in the child, the child should be laid down and called the hospital. Establishing the type of injury, its nature and severity - the task of doctors.

In traumatic brain injuries, vital centers and brain regions are affected. If the child does not receive timely medical care, the changes that are caused by bruising or squeezing may be irreversible. Severe injury can be fatal.

If a child has hit his head, being far from his parents, for example, in a summer camp or boarding school, parents, for objective reasons, cannot observe the behavior and condition of the child 24 hours after the strike. In this situation, one should be sympathetic to the fact that doctors and caregivers of the children's institution are “reinsured” and immediately send your child to the hospital. According to Komarovsky, in 99% of cases such hospitalization is required not in order to treat the child, but in order for him to have someone to watch.

If some time after hitting the head or on the head the child, having cried, calmed down and fell asleep, Komarovsky does not advise him to interfere - let him sleep.

If it is not possible to wake up or the answers are unintelligible, you should immediately call a doctor.

Specific prevention of head injuries does not exist. However, the task of parents, as best as possible, to think through all the dangerous situations and, if possible, to do everything to protect the baby.

Older children to the gift in the form of a bicycle should always be given a special helmet, and to roller skates - a helmet and shields on the arms and legs. In the bathroom, be sure to put non-slip mats on the floor and on the bottom of the bath.

For information about when the fall is really dangerous and how to provide emergency assistance, see the transfer of Dr. Komarovsky.