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Updated on June 06, 2010
P.O. asks from Antioch, TN
19 answers

he is fine now thank you...

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So What Happened?

Thank you moms for your responses. Let's not get carried away with the fact that I said I have to disrupt a lot of things. The mere fact that I posted means I am ready to do what it takes if necessary. I simply don't want to over-react and/or under-react. I am definitely not going to see my son bleeding to death and not do anything about it. I worry as most of you do, but unnecessary worry is not good either. So to update all of you, my son is fine now, and provided there are times a head injury is real reason for concern, there are also times when it is not, because we all have bumped our heads as children and we survived. So thanks to the moms who REASSURED me as I requested based on their experience, and luckily my gut feelings helped me to do the right thing.

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J.B.

answers from Houston on

Mine hit his head pretty hard on concrete so I googled this. It said to look for excessive sleepiness, inability to wake up, vomiting, and I think dialated pupils. There may have been more signs but I don't remember. I also called my dr and they gave me signs to look for, but I think it was the same info I found online, so I say try looking it up. My son never had any of the symptoms of concussion so I moved on. My friend's daughter fell out of a shopping cart right on her head and they took her to the dr and she was totally fine. I know freak things happen but I think we are more aware of the random things that do happen bc of all the info on the net. Most times everything is just fine. Best wishes:)

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M.B.

answers from Orlando on

Better safe than sorry but since you don't want to hear that watch for swelling of the soft spot (depending on how young he is) - if the soft spot swells, he is vomiting, or seems lethargic take him to the doctor immediately

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M.T.

answers from Chicago on

Can you call your doctor and talk to the nurse? My son use to fall all the time when he was younger and I remember calling and speaking with the nurse. She can give you suggestions on what to look for and let you know when to bring him in. If it means disrupting your whole day then so be it, its your child and if anything happens to him you would wish you would have disrupted your day.

4 moms found this helpful

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Unless there is vomiting, loss of balance, uneven pupils, sudden sleepiness (like he can't stay awake), sudden extreme headache, I would put some ice on the bump and call it a day. I recall MANY times from my childhood when I probably should have seen a doctor (getting body checked while ice skating and landing on my head, no hands to break my fall... my brother pushing me off the top of the slide, landing on the back of my head, etc)... I'm fine! Think about it, if you're doing your normal daily chores and you crack your head on the edge of a cabinet and it stings like hellfire, are YOU going to go to the doctor? Probably not. Most people who die from 'bumps on the head' are accidents waiting to happen, meaning, they have some kind of underlying condition and the bump sets the disaster in motion. I am a pretty protective parent, but I always look back at myself in the same situations as a kid, and we NEVER went to the doctor for ANYTHING! Parents are so scared now, how did we ever survive as children ourselves? We used to get stung by bees, swim with snakes in the lake, pet strange dogs, LOL... but we all made it okay ;) Give your son a hug and a kiss, and make sure he gives you one in return to make YOU feel better :)

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W.T.

answers from San Diego on

If your child is acting normally, no lethargy, no slurring of words, look at their pupils to see if they are reacting normally, no vomiting, normal coordination, you should be fine.

Kids fall all of the time. Are their freak accidents that lead to death...absolutely. Is it the norm, no.

I think you are fine.

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

A good guide is, if your child has a bump on his head afterwards, he's fine. It's when there is no bump (indicative of something internal, like bleeding or cracked skull), and he's acting different, pupils blown, etc... that's when you need to call the doctor or ER.

But overall, these little kiddos are pretty resilient. If he's acting normally and not sleeping any more than usual, I wouldn't worry about it.

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

You're suddenly worried but you don't want to be told to see the doctor because it will "disrupt a whole lot of stuff." Wow! Head falls can be serious and no obvious symptoms can be present at first. I would say call your doctor but that's not the advice you are seeking. I hope your child is okay based on the advice of moms who most likely are not doctors. I am sorry if my comment seems harsh but your reason for not wanting to see the doctor is very selfish.

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

How old is the youngest? How far did he fall? What did he hit his head on? How was he acting after he hit his head? All of these are important questions. I want to give you reassurance, but don't want to do that without knowing all the info. Finally, even if you don't want to take him to the doctor, there's no reason you can't call. If they decide you should go in, go in. Good luck.

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J.W.

answers from Orlando on

Never take a "head fall" lightly.

Serious head injuries could involve subdural hematomas (bleeding/blood clot between the brain & the skull) among other things, and can trigger severe mental decline. The increasing pressure pushes the hematoma (blood clot) against the brain tissue and may cause significant damage...especially if it hemorrhages. Hitting the temple could also be disastrous as a very important artery lies just beneath the thin boney area.

A head injury/contusion is never OK. Think about it - what part of your body is responsible for controlling ALL of the other parts? The brain. Where is the brain? In the head. Hitting the head could definitely compromise the brain's ability to function...permanently.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/head_injury/article_em.htm

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T.A.

answers from Tampa on

hi, i am a M. to one three year old son. personally if i where in your shoes, i would have definately take him to the dr asap/ or at least called them. dispite haveing to disrupt alot of "things". your kids come first! if worst comes to worst, you dont want to have your son have an untreated problem, and possibly get reported by someone/dcf take kids away etc..

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R.C.

answers from Sarasota on

My husband freaked about falls when our daughter was little, so I memorized the signs :-)

You should take them to the doctor if:
--they feel from three or more feet up
--they lost conciousness
--they did not cry immediately
--they have trouble walking (unbalanced) or are clumsy
--there is anything off about their eyes

Of course, there is absolutely no substitute for your instincts, so go with w
what makes you comfortable!!!!

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D.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

My neighbor's daughter hit the back of her head near her neck. I'm sure the part of head involved in all the stories you've heard. She did die but it was within the hour. She was acting very tired and disoriented. Everytime my kids hit their head I can't help but think of my neighbor a few years ago. As long as he's acting normal, I wouldn't worry.

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S.B.

answers from Tampa on

A LOT of it depends on the age of the child because that determines how formed their skull is.

I was at the Dr for this about 2 months ago because he also needed 4 staples - even though he landed on a (thin) carpet... I was mor concerned about his brain than the cut. Most people below gave you exactly what the Dr said- unususal behavior, nausea etc. They sent me to urgent care to get staples (pedi has stapler but no novacain??) Anyway- he said they generally have a 4' rule... if a child falls from a height of more than 4 feet, is nauseated or acting unusual- go to the ER. Otherwise, watch & use the Mommy's intuition.

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G.M.

answers from Tampa on

Personally I think something must be wrong with you if you are not willing to "disrupt" things in order to ensure your son is ok. At least a phone call and/or visit to the Dr. would be warranted if it is ever suspected that something could be serious. How guilty would you feel if you didn't "disrupt" your little routines and something very serious and even fatal happened????
Just sayin....

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R.W.

answers from Tampa on

He could be bleeding internally and you would never know it until it was to late. But some signs something is wrong is a change in behavior, blurred vision, tired, personality change and change in eating habbits. But honestly by the time you notice any of these changes permenant damage could already be done. Does he have a bruise on his head or a bump? Did you put ice on it? I don't want to scare you but my friends Granddaughter just passed away in April from a bump to the head. She looked and acted fine after she had fell. No outward signs that anything was wrong. They went to wake her up a few days later and she woudln't wake up. It was to late. Sure a trip to the doctor is a pain and changes your entire days plans. But, do you want to take the chance of losing your son? My friend would give anything to have her daughter back and take a day off work to take her to the doctor. If she had done this she would be here today...A childs life is something you don't mess with. More than likely he is okay. But you honestly never know.

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N.R.

answers from Lakeland on

Hmmmmm, you are ok with an older child bullying a smaller child, and subsequently him hitting his head on a hard floor? And now you don't want to "disrupt a whole lot of stuff" to go to the Dr.?
In my opinion - better safe than sorry, imagine how diruptive to your schedule a funeral could be.

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K.M.

answers from Tampa on

well disrupt a whole lot of stuff, I think that is the definition of M.

and then handle your oldest on this- I think it is a very cruel thing he did to his brother, not funny, cruel. I really don't understand your saying you were ok with it????

Anyway if he has a sub dural hematoma you'd better know about it now.

k

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A.M.

answers from Tampa on

My girl flipped out of her highchair and landed flat on her back on a tile floor. I was pretty scared and my husband is a critical nurse so I called him. Basically, I looked at her eyes for them being rolled back in her head and eye movement (can they follow your finger) checked breathing (she was crying so she was okay), I did not let her sleep for a few hours. I watched for lethargy and unusual movement/nervous system functions. I'm not a R.N or M.D but depending on the type of fall and height we shouldn't just overlook it (myself included).

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S.B.

answers from Fort Myers on

My daughter fell on her face on concrete and within 5 minutes, she was very sleepy. WEnt to ER and she had a cat scan and she did wonderfully. It showed how hard their head really is, but if you see anything not normal, ER !

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