Bumps to your child's head occur during the course of normal play and exploration, especially for youngsters who lack coordination. In most cases, a bump to the head is treatable at home, but more serious head injuries require an exam by a doctor. Learning the signs of a serious head injury allows you to determine when to take your child to the hospital and when to care for the injury at home.
Evaluation
Inspect the head injury immediately to assess the severity of the bump. Look for bleeding, scrapes or swelling where the head came into contact with the ground. Older children are able to tell you where the injury happened. In younger children, you may need to inspect all areas of the head to assess the damage. Look at her eyes to look for any differences, including crossing, rolling, difficulty seeing or difference in pupil size. Note your child's behavior, including how alert she is, her focus, balance and ability to respond to you. The ability to console your child is another way to determine how severe the injury is.
Treatment
Tend to your child's head injury to get the situation under control. Apply pressure with a clean cloth if his head is bleeding. Clean out the area if any dirt or other debris is in the wound. Once the bleeding slows, apply a bandage to the area. Ice keeps the swelling down in a head bump. Apply the ice immediately if possible. For the best results, hold the ice onto the injury for two 20-minute sessions, with a short break between. If your child complains of head pain, offer a dose of acetaminophen at the appropriate strength based on his age and weight.
Seeking Medical Attention
For a more severe head bump, immediate medical attention is necessary. Seek help if your child is unconscious or has difficulty responding to you. Watch her balance as she walks. If she struggles to walk or perform normal tasks, take her to the doctor. Other symptoms that likely require medical attention include vomiting, inconsolable crying for more than an hour, problems with the eyes or complaints of severe head pain that doesn't improve with pain reliever. A severe cut from a head bump may need stitches. If your child's injury or accompanying symptoms seem severe, seek medical attention as a safety precaution.
Monitoring
Whether or not you get medical care for your child after a head bump, you need to keep an eye on him after the injury. For at least the next day, watch for disturbances in sleep, coloring changes, twitching, speech problems, lethargy or breathing difficulties. Contact his health care provider if any symptoms appear after the injury that seem abnormal.
