duckabell Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 My 2yo daughter fell off her chair tonight at dinner and landed on the back of her head rather hard without catching herself. She now has a nice goose egg on the back of her head. We put ice on it and it's going down. We also gave her some Tylenol. She seemed coherent throughout the ordeal and cried for five minutes or so. We also checked her pupils and they were at normal dilation. She hasn't thrown up. I'm just wanting to make sure that I'm looking for the right things in case we need to take her in. I can't find a nurses' line for my local hospital and my family members who are nurses aren't answering their phone. It is also after hours for the pediatrician. So from what I can tell I should be worried if she starts throwing up, losing consciousness, or is confused. Is there anything else I should be looking for? Her normal bedtime is in about an hour. Should I keep her up a little bit longer? How long do I need to monitor her? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 First good sign: she cried. Ds did NOT cry despite his horrific injury. Second good sign, she was coherent throughout the ordeal. Ds was not at all. If it would make you feel better, or to cover all your bases, call the pediatrician. Ds had a concussion but it doesn't sound like your dd does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Oh, if I were you, I would put her down as usual but wake her half an hourto an hour later. If you can't wake her or if it is difficult, bring her to the ER. It is also an excellent sign that her pupils are normal. I wish I didnt have so much experience with concussions. If she becomes unsteady on her feet or you notice behavioral issues, take her in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I'm not a medical person at all but one of my boys tends toward injury. My brother in law is a pediatrician. I remember him telling me that a child who immediately cries and doesn't pass out is very likely fine. He also told me even minor head bumps and cuts bleed and/or swell a lot. I've seen that for sure! In that circumstance with my child I wouldn't worry about concussion or similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Oh, if I were you, I would put her down as usual but wake her half an hourto an hour later. If you can't wake her or if it is difficult, bring her to the ER. It is also an excellent sign that her pupils are normal. I wish I didnt have so much experience with concussions. If she becomes unsteady on her feet or you notice behavioral issues, take her in. This. Next time, instead of ice, get a paper towel, put a TBS or so of sugar on it, wet it, and hold that in place for about 5-10 minutes instead of the ice. When my son was about 8 he was at a friend's b-day party and he threw an aluminium bat way up in the air, and it came down smack in the middle of his forehead. The other boy's grandmother watched us put ice on it- he was screaming and fighting it, so she gets up and gets the sugar towel, and tells us to put it on his head. (A huge bump was already forming) We did and the next day, no bump, no bruise, no nothing!! It's amazing, and we have used that trick ever since and it always works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckabell Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Thanks for the help everyone! We got a hold of the after-hours pediatrician who said to just keep watching her and that she's most likely just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 When little kids bump themselves on their heads, the bump always seems really big, especially in relation to the actual bumping part, so it looks worse than it really is. My dd was in the er last month for a concussion. I was told the up-to-date studies on concussions show no benefit to waking up the injured person as we were told in the past. So, I would let her go to sleep as normal, and just check on her every so often without waking her up, and I would try to sleep through the night myself - no need to check on her through the night. She needs her rest to heal. There is no BENEFIT to waking a sleeping child, but if you can NOT wake them up, that is a serious concern. I would definitely wake your dd up. When same son had a double concussion awhile back, I was upset that dh said he was so sleepy afterwards. I immediately knew he needed to be seen, but waking him up was very difficult because he DID have a concussion. When dd8 hit her head hard, she acted normal and awoke easily. I knew she was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This. Next time, instead of ice, get a paper towel, put a TBS or so of sugar on it, wet it, and hold that in place for about 5-10 minutes instead of the ice. When my son was about 8 he was at a friend's b-day party and he threw an aluminium bat way up in the air, and it came down smack in the middle of his forehead. The other boy's grandmother watched us put ice on it- he was screaming and fighting it, so she gets up and gets the sugar towel, and tells us to put it on his head. (A huge bump was already forming) We did and the next day, no bump, no bruise, no nothing!! It's amazing, and we have used that trick ever since and it always works. I hope I remember this! Awesome tip/advice!!! Ice on an injury HURTS!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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