Bumps on The Head
Last night I was putting the kids to bed, and while I was tucking Ollie into the bottom bunk, Nat started swinging from the bunk’s ladder, saying “Mom! Look at all the ways I can get down”, proceeding to swing to the floor from different directions.
As I kissed my 4-year-old goodnight and tried to listen to something he was saying about a Super Mario game, I found myself saying “NAT!! Get down from there” “NAT! That’s really dangerous!” and “NAT! Stop that right now!”. THEN I heard a loud thud. I looked and Nat had fallen and whacked the back of her head on the floor. She was crying hard, saying “I’m so sorry Mom!” and I rushed to her side, feeling both angry and concerned. Why oh why don’t they just listen???
A goose egg appeared almost immediately, which I applied an ice pack on and I gave her paracetamol to deal with the pain. The fact that she cried loudly, spoke and did not lose consciousness or vomit, were signs that it wasn’t a serious head injury, but still, it was scary and worrying (she slept in our room last night, just to be sure). Especially after the recent tragedy with Natasha Richardson, who we were all very fond of 
.
I did some research after she went to bed, and was relieved to find out that most bumps to the back and front of the head are not likely to cause serious injury, as opposed to in the sides of the head. Here’s an interesting article I found on children’s head injuries, using case studies to help you understand better. It is such a common yet possibly dangerous occurrence with kids that I think every parent should at least be aware of the basics.
April 29th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
just passed by this blog and wanted to say i’m glad everything with your son is alright! that natasha richardson story has definitly scared everyone
April 29th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Thank God she’s ok! Coincidentally, it’s National Safe Kids Week, aimed at preventing accidental injuries. There’s tips on the Safe Kids USA site, too. http://www.safekids.org/stages/index.html
The first item under 4-year-olds says:
“I imitate older playmates and adults, meaning I will try things that are beyond my physical abilities.”
Ain’t that the truth!
May 4th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Thanks, ladies! Yes, I’m actually considering selling the bunk bed now
May 21st, 2009 at 1:00 am
well, i guess they have to get goose eggs to learn sometimes
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:42 pm
On Friday the 13th in February my son ran into a stone wall at basketball practice. He had a huge goosebump on the side of his head. I had dropped him off at practice and then returned because someone from practice had called about his head injury. When I got there, I asked him what had happened and he couldn’t remember. I rushed him to the ER and it turned out that he had fractured his skull. He is 11 and it was probably the scariest time I’ve had with him. I knew he was going to be okay (daddy had fractured his skull when he was 4 by jumping out of a shopping cart) but that sense of young immortality had washed away.
November 24th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Hi All
My son of 4years wake up this morning pointing just above his eye lash on the left side saying it’s sore. i looked did not see anything and I thought another trick not to go to creche. This afternoon he came back with red slightly swallowed left eye and a middle bumb on his left side of his head. I am terrified, he claims he did not fall. Could anyone tell me if they have experienced this? I will be taking him to the doctor in the morning .
Thanks