What should I do if my baby has a dent on his head?

Children are naturally lively and like to move around. The furniture at home can often cause harm to the baby's body. For example, when a baby has just learned to walk, it is easy for him to fall and hit the corner of the table because he walks unsteadily. In more serious situations, because the baby's bones are not yet fully developed, once the forehead hits the corner of the table, it is likely to be dented. So, what should I do if my baby hits his head?

What symptoms should be observed after a child falls and suffers a head injury?

Head injuries from falls and bumps are common in children. As a parent, what we worry about most is "damage to the brain".

Moderate to severe head injuries all cause varying degrees of changes in consciousness, which are easy to judge. The symptoms of mild injuries are atypical, difficult to judge, and it is unclear what changes will occur, which is most likely to make parents anxious.

In most cases, the most common injuries after a fall are scalp hematoma or bruises, and sometimes scalp lacerations. We hope that parents will master the following principles:

1. If you have a large scalp laceration or bleeding, you need to go to the hospital to check the wound. The scalp has great tension, and the wound is not easy to close naturally, so it is often necessary to cleanse and suture the wound.

2. If an infant or young child continues to cry and is difficult to comfort after a fall, he or she needs to go to the hospital for examination to rule out intracranial hemorrhage, fracture, etc.

3. Repeated vomiting after a fall requires going to the hospital for observation to rule out concussion, intracranial hemorrhage, etc.

4. If bleeding or "water" (cerebrospinal fluid?) occurs in the nostrils or external auditory canal after a fall, you need to seek medical attention immediately. These may come from within the skull and need to be identified.

5. If you experience changes in consciousness, limb paralysis or movement disorders under any circumstances after a fall, you need to be sent to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment immediately.

How to deal with hematoma and bruises in the early stage of head injury?

Head injuries from falls or bumps often result in bruises or hematomas. In addition to paying close attention to the symptoms mentioned in the previous Weibo post, you should also perform preliminary treatment for the injury.

For hematomas or bruises without skin damage or bleeding, cold compresses can be considered in the early stages to reduce subcutaneous bleeding and spread. Ice packs or refrigerated bagged milk can be used. A few points must be noted:

1. The ice bag should be wrapped with a dry towel or handkerchief, and should not be placed directly on the skin to avoid frostbite.

2. Cold compress is generally applied within 48 hours after injury. The earlier you start, the better the effect. There is usually no obvious effect after 48 hours.

3. Each cold compress should last about 15 minutes. It can be done multiple times depending on the child's tolerance. There is no special limit on the number of times.

4. If there are abrasions or minor bleeding on the skin, apply pressure to stop the bleeding first, then disinfect with complex iodine or alcohol, and apply cold compress after it dries. Wounds that bleed profusely require hospital treatment.