Fall from a height
Infants and toddlers often fall from bed or chair. They may get injury to any part of the body. Mostly the head or one of the limbs gets injured. It is very important to decide when to rush to the hospital.
Q. Is it important to know the height from where the child has a fall?
A. We should run tap water over the burn long enough to cool the area and relieve the pain. It might take 5 to 15 minutes. It is not advised to put ice on the burn. Even rubbing a burn wound should be avoided. One should also avoid putting butter, ghee or powder on the burned area.
Q. Is vomiting dangerous after a fall on head?
A. The vomiting in a child who has had a fall may indicate injury to brain. But, that happens after hours. Vomiting immediately after a fall is usually due to the jerk. If a child who has had a fall vomits after few hours, he should be taken to a Pediatrician.
Q. What should I look for when a child has a fall?
A. If one has witnessed the fall, the first thing is to check the baby’s immediate reaction. If the baby started crying almost instantaneously, it means the baby was conscious and realised the pain or got scared. If the baby was quiet and had a staring look, there is a possibility of internal injury and we need to visit the Pediatrician. We need to check the head for any bump. One should examine movements of all four limbs and any bruise anywhere.
Q. What are other signs when I should take my child to a doctor?
A. Following are situations where a child who has a fall should be taken to a doctor:
• A child who was quiet or had a staring look immediately after the fall
• A child who has bleeding from ear or nose
• A child who has any cut anywhere
• A child who is not moving any one of the limbs
• A child who is excessively sleepy or drowsy
• A child who is excessively irritable
• A child who starts vomiting after few hours with or without drowsiness
Q. What First-aid care should be provided to a child who has a fall?
A. After doing initial examination of the child, if there is a bump, it is advisable to put ice pack or an ice cube wrapped in a thin cloth. If there is bleeding wound, it is advised to put constant pressure on the bleeding site for 10 minutes. One can give a dose of Paracetamol for pain relief before visiting the Pediatrician.
If a child is unconscious, utmost care should be taken to stabilize (support) the neck, while moving the child.
Q. Should I do X-ray Skull immediately?
A. X-ray skull shows the status of skull bone. It doesn’t show anything about the brain. Hence, doing X-ray skull is not a good decision. In case, there is any suggestive symptom or sign of brain injury, a CT scan brain should be done.