Brief Answer:
And That's Why Dr. Nosal always used to say,"Football helmets for 'em all!"

Detailed Answer:
Good afternoon. My name is Dr. Saghafi and I'm a neurologist. I've got 4 kids....they used to be just as mischievous and I quickly understood why my professor, Dr. Nosal, used to say to us...."All 2 and 3 year olds should have Footballs helmets placed on them until at least age 6!" He really wasn't kidding....but you see for this very reason.

Of course, I don't expect to hear on the evening news tonight that some child in Phenix City, AL was put into a football helmet on the recommendation of a neurologist from Ohio! Then, I'll have to deal with Dr. Drew or XXXXXXX Grace knocking on my door! HAHA

But seriously, now the idea of falls in toddlers and knocks to the head.....it's a way of life for them....amazing as it sounds they are incredibly resilient to those sorts of events....primarily because they still have somewhat of a malleable skeleton which doesn't provide the same "brick wall" type of environment that an adult skull has and that's a GOOD thing. So when they fall and they will fall A LOT...the brain is not going to run into a block of steel....there's going to be some give.....that's why you're seeing the bit of a dent.....

If this just happened today you should just get some ice on there, give the baby some Tylenol for pain, and just watch them carefully for the next 24-48 hrs. She may be a little tired after the fall if she cried a lot so it's Ok to let her rest....just check up while sleeping every 30 min. or so and gently try and awaken her. As long as she stirs and seems to be reacting normally then, let her sleep. It doesn't sound as if there's been any vomiting or anything so I think y'all are going to be fine....

If there is anything odd about her behavior or she becomes difficult to arouse, she loses her appetite or begins to vomit, etc. then, that would indicate a trip to an ER. I think it would be a good idea for you to advise the pediatrician of what happened but again, as long as she's awake, alert, and playful....I don't think you need to go sit in an ER for 6 hrs. If it were me as the pediatrician I might recommend that you take her to get a quick CT of the head at the nearest diagnostic facility if YOU were particularly worried....but if there's nothing going on neurologically then, I'd likely bypass that as well and just have you check in with some update reports later today and tomorrow.

You may even find her up and ready to start bouncing around some more....try to make things as safe as possible....but remember, you can't take the fall out of the kid.....

BTW, Dr. XXXXXXX Nosal was an Education Professor I had in college....not medical doctor.....but boy he was wise! LOL....He said, "You can take the kid away from the fall...but you'll never take away the Fall from the Kid!"

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