Handling Head Bumps
Handling kids' head bumps can be a scary event for many parents who often think about taking their kid to the nearest emergency room immediately after the injury. However, most head bumps don’t ask for such fear on the parents' part. Rather, your presence of mind and a close eye on the child can help you sail through the situation.
Given the high energy levels that your kids possess, it is likely that they will have to face head bumps at some point of time. Head bumps are common especially when children are learning to get steady on their feet as they take their first walking steps. So, as parents, you should keep the following points in mind while dealing with kids' head bumps:
· Decide the severity of the head bump: Most head injuries in children are mild and often cause temporary damage. So, parents can decide for themselves if they need to seek medical attention or not. However, if your injured child is having concussions, you should seek medical treatment immediately!
· Keep checking your child: It is suggested to keep your child awake after a head injury. Since most children feel sleepy after having head bumps, it is okay if they go to sleep. However, check on them every couple of hours for any warning signs like nausea and vomiting, bad headache, sensitivity to light, sleepiness, inability to concentrate, feeling dazed, or other changes that are not common to your kid's usual disposition. Take your kid your to the ER or the doctor if one or more of these symptoms appear.
· Ask your kid to rest: It is important for your child to get rest and try to limit his participation in activities as the brain needs to rest and heal. This is especially true in the case of a concussion that may take up to ten days to heal.
· Get your doctor’s nod: You need to get your doctor's approval first before allowing your child to get back to the playground or sports as hurrying this process may make the child vulnerable to subsequent, often more potentially damaging concussion.
· Be calm while dealing with kids’ head bumps: There’s no point in feeling guilty, doubting your parenting ability or blaming your babysitter for not watching your child better. Instead, use the injury as a learning experience so that you can prevent similar accidents in the future. Remember to stay calm while dealing with your kids’ head bumps and tell yourself that falls can happen to all children despite the best of care.