What should I do if my baby's forehead is bruised?

Don't panic if your baby's forehead gets a bruise. You need to apply hot compress at the beginning to avoid blood stasis. If the hematoma becomes serious, you can also use some cold compresses. Alternating these methods will make the treatment simpler. As long as there are no serious symptoms, you don't need to take any medication or perform any special treatment.

(1) Subcutaneous hematoma Subcutaneous hematoma of the scalp usually absorbs on its own after a few days and does not require special treatment. Cold compresses are given in the early stages to reduce bleeding and pain. After 24 to 48 hours, hot compresses are used to promote absorption of the hematoma.

(2) For smaller subgaleal hematomas, cold compresses and pressure bandages can be used in the early stages, and then switched to hot compresses after 24 to 48 hours to allow the hematoma to absorb on its own. If the hematoma is huge, it should be punctured and aspirated multiple times under strict skin preparation and disinfection, followed by pressure bandaging. Especially for infants and young children, puncture should be performed once every 1 to 2 days, and antibiotics should be given according to the situation.

(3) If the hematoma does not disappear or continues to grow, after excluding skull fracture and intracranial injury, a drainage tube can be inserted through a trocar to drain the blood for several days. Alternatively, the hematoma can be removed and the bleeding can be stopped by incision. The wound can then be tightly sutured, a pressure bandage can be applied, and antibiotics can be used to prevent infection. Hematoma with infection should be incised and drained. Subgaleal hematoma in infants and young children can lead to insufficient effective circulating blood volume throughout the body, and the blood volume deficiency needs to be supplemented if necessary.

(4) In the early stage of subperiosteal hematoma, cold compress is still appropriate, but strong pressure bandage should be avoided to prevent blood from flowing into the skull through the fracture and causing epidural hematoma. For patients with larger hematomas, puncture should be performed under strict skin preparation and disinfection, and recovery can be achieved by aspirating the accumulated blood 1 to 2 times. If blood accumulation occurs repeatedly, CT scan or other auxiliary examinations should be performed promptly. For smaller subperiosteal hematomas, you can also use the method of first applying cold compresses, then hot compresses, and waiting for them to be absorbed on their own. However, subperiosteal hematoma in infants and young children often lasts for a long time, that is, calcium salts are deposited and form a bone shell that is difficult to dissipate. This type of hematoma should be punctured and aspirated promptly, and carefully applied with pressure bandage under close observation.

First of all, we should actively take measures to stop bleeding, relieve pain, and resist shock. Cover the wound with sterile dressing and apply pressure to stop bleeding, and keep the avulsed scalp for future use. Try to send the patient to a qualified hospital for debridement within 12 hours. Different treatment methods are used depending on the time of the patient's visit, the survival condition of the avulsed scalp, whether the skull is exposed, and whether there are signs of infection.