Child. Bump On Head After Tripping And Hitting Forehead Against Wall. Breathing And Sleep Fine. Is Waking Up Often Necessary?

Hi,

Thanks for writing to health care magic.

In a child with head injury it is important to take the child immediately to doctor in case of
1.     Vomiting
2.     Nose or ear bleeding
3.     Seizures
4.     Loss of consciousness

If the vitals as monitored by you are stable there is no need to wake the child up so frequently. Continue to monitor the vitals.


Continue to ask further queries as required.
Hope this helps.
Take care.
Dr Y V Siva Sankara Murty
M.D.(Pediatrics)
Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Hi,

Thank you for your query on Healthcare Magic.

The child have developed swelling due to accumulation of blood in the scalp.

Watch for the signs of brain injury like vomitings, seizures, loss or altered consciousness, abnormal behavior, bleeding from nose and ears, and any decrease in limb movements.

If you find any abnormal signs, report to emergency immediately.

For pain you can give Tylenol or ibuprofen in prescribed dose.

No need to wake the child while sleep as they will get irritated normally also.

Consult the pediatrician once for examination.

Hope I have answered your query.

Regards.

I just saw your question from a few hours ago about your niece and can only assume that since then she has done well. Without a loss of consciousness it is very unlikely that an injury to the brain occurred and all that is necessary is to observe for lethargy, balance issues, etc and it is fine for them to sleep.

Hi

Thanks for your query to Health Care Magic

Kindly note that all, even severe, scalp/skull injuries are not necessarily associated with brain injuries. Conversely, serious brain injuries may develop without evidence of external injuries or skull fractures. Hence it is important to watch for signs of brain injuries like unconsciousness, seizures, unequal pupil size, abnormal behavior, facial bleeding, vomiting and headache for more than 24 hrs.

In your niece case, as her pulse and breathing is fine let her sleep and don’t disturb her but any of the above signs appear immediately mobilize her for a pediatric review.

Hope that answers your query.

Take Care :)