• Start Here
  • Work With Me
  • Parenting
  • Kids Activities
  • Working Moms
  • Productivity Tips
  • Number of items in cart: 0

    • Your cart is empty.
    • Total: $0.00
    • Checkout

Fab Working Mom Life

A Working Mom Blog: Let's thrive as working moms.

  • Blog
  • Motherhood
    • Breastfeeding
    • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Kids Activities
    • Working Mom
  • Lifestyle
    • Finances
    • Food
    • Health
    • Home Life
    • Military
    • Organize
  • Resources
    • Blogging Resources
    • Working Mom Life Resources
  • About
    • About Julie
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Subscribe
  • Work With Me
    • Advertise Here or Hire Me
    • Guest Post Here
    • Link and Image Policy
    • As Seen On
  • Freebies
    • Affirmations for Working Moms
    • Monthly Budget
    • Nanny Interview Questions Checklist
    • Start a Blog? email course
    • Printables
  • Shop
    • Budget Workbook Planner
    • 12 Month Habit Tracker Printable
    • Christmas Games and Planning Printables
    • Nanny Contract Template
    • My Zazzle Store
    • My Amazon Store
    • Printables Downloads
    • Etsy Store

Note: posts contain affiliate links, earning me a commission. By using this site, you agree to our use of browser cookies. Read our disclosure and privacy policies for more details.

Head Injuries in Children: What to do if your Toddler Falls and Hits his Head

June 17, 2018 by Julie 10 Comments

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe and join fellow working moms. Thanks for visiting!

Inside: Our toddler fell and hit back of head. What do we do?

The other day we had a scary situation with our son.  We were actually out celebrating our anniversary, and all went to sushi after work/daycare pickup. After that, we decided to walk next door and get some ice cream. Because there’s always time for ice cream. 

Well, this time my son was so hyper and kept bouncing in his chair. He just couldn’t sit still. What 3-year-old can? One of those bounces resulted in him sliding out of his chair and landing on the ground. This kid hits head pretty often, gets back up and it doesn’t phase him. But this time was different.

if toddler falls and hits his head

toddler falls and hits his head

He didn’t fall far, and it looked like his butt hit first, but he was lying there with his mouth open but not screaming. We picked him up and checked him over, and his eyes rolled back in his head. We were very scared at that point let me tell you.

This is a terrifying situation for parents: when your toddler hit head, eyes rolled back. All kinds of scary thoughts go through your head after seeing those eyes rolling back in his head.


It didn’t look like he was breathing, but as my husband started to roll him over to check if he was choking or start other techniques we had been taught, our son took a deep breath and started crying.

He was dazed only for a little bit, we estimated maybe 5 seconds tops, and after that regained all motor function and lung capacity quickly. Due to his eyes rolling back after hitting head, we decided to take him to the ER for observation.

recognize and treat head injuries

what if your toddler falls down and his their head? | Fab Working Mom Life #toddlers #parenting #headinjury What to do when your toddler has a head injury

what to do when toddler hit back of head?

 

When a kid hits their head what to do?

I wanted to share this post with my readers as this is such a common issue all parents face. Children are so full of energy and so reckless with their behavior. We watch them fall over and bust their butts all the time, but what happens when a head injury is more serious? What if your child has a concussion? After a child head injury do you know when to worry? I thought it would be useful to my fellow new moms to hear what the physician and nurses told us.

Recommended Post:  How to Spend Time For Family Bonding Despite Busy Schedules

I am not a health professional. I am a fellow mom wanting to share our experiences and raise awareness. This post is not meant to take the place of advice from your physician.

If your child hit back of head when they fell, especially if your toddler fell and hit back of head on concrete, these are the serious signs you need to look out for.

Signs of a serious head injury:

  • Vomiting repeatedly (more than 3 times)
  • Worsening headache or a change in the type of headache pain
  • Change in behavior (less activity, extreme sleepiness, etc.)
  • Clear or bloody drainage from nose or ears
  • Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs
  • If the child feels faint or lightheaded
  • Problems seeing or changes in vision
  • Difficulty waking from sleep or more confusion
  • Seizures

If you observe any of these – seek immediate medical attention.

Brain Injuries in Children CDC Infographic for Concussion SymptomsDo you know what concussion symptoms to look for? These are signs of a concussion.

 

Why do parents worry about a head injury in children?

A head injury from a small fall is usually quite mild, but we are all terrified of a traumatic brain injury and just want peace of mind that our child is fine. Here’s an infographic sharing more information about brain injuries, including concussion symptoms.
Brain Injuries in Children CDC Infographic - Traumatic Brain Injury, Signs of a Concussion, When to go to the ER information

So what happened with our toddler head injury and goose egg?

The staff at the ER asked us a series of questions, to describe the event, and specifically how far did he fall and how fast did he get back to normal. The doctor then turned off the lights and performed a neurological exam, which simply means he shined his light into my son’s eyes and made him follow the light by looking in certain directions.

An hour later the doctor repeated the procedures, said the child is fine and sent us home with our goose egg. We asked if he was fine to go to daycare the next day and have splash pad and gymnastics class, and the physician said that should be fine if his condition remains the same.

Recommended Post:  How to Boost Your Motivation When Feeling Down

They told us a fall from a chair isn’t that huge of a concern as far as injuries go – they are more concerned if the child falls from double their height and sustains a head injury. They also said a child that is dazed or in shock for less than a minute is normal for a mild head injury.

They told us head injuries are very common and often mild. They said it is rare to see a worse injury than a bump, but it is important to observe a child after a fall to make sure no changes in their behavior occur. A CT scan or x-ray is not recommended in these cases of mild head injury.

This part is important – I’m sharing it from the packet they gave us in our discharge documents. They said to continue observing him and see if anything changes.

toddler fell and hit back of head

What to look for after a head injury? Here’s more head injury advice.

I found this great video that explains the different levels of head injury and what to look for.

The bottom line is this: is your child acting right? If the answer is no, seek medical attention.

 

Have you experienced an ER visit due to a head injury in children?

 

What to do if your toddler falls down and his their head? | Fab Working Mom Life #toddlers #parenting #headinjury What to do when your toddler has a head injury

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Categories: Health, Parenting, TopPosts Tags: child safety, Safety, Toddlers

the PAST
the FUTURE

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Comments

  1. Liz says

    April 21, 2022 at 2:43 pm

    Oh my gosh today my 3yr old was pushed off a slide by another kid. He hit his head and within a few seconds went floppy eyes rolled into his head. Panic god my legs and arms were jelly. Ran to a n e did the light thing like you mentioned and given an info sheet to follow. I’m still in shock from it he seems absolutely fine his normal self thankfully. But I’ll be watching him closely for next 24hrs . Thanks for sharing

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 21, 2022 at 4:13 pm

      Oh how super scary! Glad he seems ok from all this (hugs mama)

      Reply
  2. Laura says

    July 9, 2018 at 2:04 am

    This is such an important post!
    My youngest son fell off the bed as a baby and his nose started bleeding. I have never run so fast to the car to get him to the ER.
    Fortunately it was nothing major.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 9, 2018 at 8:24 am

      Yikes so scary when they’re real little.

      Reply
  3. Holly says

    July 2, 2018 at 1:49 am

    My littlest took a tumble at the park that left him with a really big goose egg right between his eye. Thankfully we didn’t have any troubling signs.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 2, 2018 at 7:35 am

      Ouch not a fun way to end the park fun

      Reply
  4. Ria says

    June 24, 2018 at 11:46 am

    This is so important! I have a baby boy and his energy is so different from my older daughter. He’s fallen and been so wild that I find myself googling things like this. So thank you for putting this together!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 24, 2018 at 12:38 pm

      Thank you Ria!

      Reply
  5. Kim@Team-Cartwright says

    June 23, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    This is such important information. No matter how diligent you are as a parent, kids fall down. They just do! Knowing the signs to look for can give peace of mind and prevent more serious complications from head injuries.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 24, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      They definitely just do, nothing can be done. Thanks Kim!

      Reply

Comments are held for moderation. Links are no follow.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments are held for moderation.

About Julie

Julie of Fab Working Mom Life Welcome! My name is Julie :) I am a Texan living in Hawaii (military life). I'm a mom, a blogger, and also work full-time in environmental compliance. I write about being a working mom to help myself and other working moms in our journey to find a balance between our family, responsibilities, and hobbies. I do this because we moms need a support network to thrive both at home and at work.

Follow us

  • mail
  • instagram
  • instagram
  • tiktok
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • bloglovin

Note: posts contain affiliate links, earning me a small commission at no additional charge to you. This site uses browser cookies to store information on your computer: some are essential to make this site work, others improve your user experience, and track behavior and user patterns (for advertising purposes). By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our disclosure and privacy policies for more details.

Join fellow Working Moms

Grab these Affirmations for Working Moms when you Join!

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Most Popular

healthy ideas toddler daycare lunches

35+ Toddler lunch ideas for daycare

How to Stop Toddler Whining: The ULTIMATE Guide to Your Sanity

How to Stop Whining, a Guide for Moms

full time working mom life hacks

How to streamline busy life as a working mom with these time-saving tips

Featured Posts

  • ABCMouse Review: No-guilt Screen Time
  • When Your Hyper Child Just Doesn't Listen, Try This
  • How To Pack School Lunches That Your Kids Will Actually Eat
  • How to Prioritize your to-do list for Effective Time-Management
  • How to do a Brain Dump and Relieve Mental Load
Christmas gifts guide

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit

Fab Working Mom Life Hot Topics

productivity tips for working moms
5-things-you-need-to-know-to-breastfeed-baby-sliderthings-to-do-to-prepare-for-baby-for-first-time-moms-slider

Link to Fab Working Mom Life

Membership


Memberships page.

Join the Working Mom List

Join the Working Mom collective and get support and tools to help you thrive! Subscribers get access to my library of resources and printables.

Thank you for joining the tribe! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
  • Start Here
  • Work With Me
  • Guest Post Here
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Link and Image Policy

Note: Posts contain affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase a product, I will receive a small commission for the sale at no additional cost to you. Fab Working Mom Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Protected by Copyscape
DMCA.com Protection Status
DMCA.com Protection Status

Copyright © 2022 · Fab Working Mom Life· Hello You Designs

Copyright © 2022 · Sweets Blog on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT