Handle children head injury seriously

Handle children head injury seriously

By Donya Betancourt

SANUR, Bali (JP): Nothing is more frightening to parents than
an injury to their child's head. Head injuries can range from a
minor knock on the noggin to a serious skull fracture.

Whether the injury occurs from falling off a bicycle, falls
from windows or minor falls around the house (in the case of
toddlers), no injury to an infant's head should be taken lightly.
Head injuries can cover a broad range of severity from bleeding
or tearing of tissue to brain swelling, when the brain moves
inside the skull at the time of impact.

Symptoms are typically headache and nausea and light dizziness
after the injury. Other symptoms can be ringing in the ears,
blocked ear (if there is bleeding in the eardrum), or feelings of
anxiety, irritability or tiredness. These symptoms usually go
away in a few weeks, but if the headache gets worse after the
passage of time, it should be viewed with concern and become a
reason for a doctor's re-examination.

Most people recover from head injuries and have no long-term
effects. There are a few terms concerning head injuries that will
be helpful to you in understanding and communicating with your
health professional should the need arise.

Concussion is a jarring injury to the brain. A person who has
concussion passes out for a short while and may feel dizzy, lose
vision or balance for a while after injury, including vomiting,
or experiencing drowsiness.

Contusion is a trauma or bruise of the brain. It causes
bleeding in the brain and brain swelling.

A skull fracture is when a skull cracks. It can range from a
minor crack to shifting of bone to the brain and cause bleeding
or other injury.

Hematoma is bleeding in the brain where the blood collects and
clots. It may happen after the injury or last as long as several
weeks.

If a head injury occurs what you should do is look for signs
of concussion. If the child is running about and unaware of the
blow or fall 10 minutes later, there is nothing to worry about.
You must wait at least an hour after an injury before feeding
your baby or child.

It is important that you monitor progress for at least 48
hours after injury. Your doctor will ask how the injury occurred
and about the symptoms of the child after the injury. A child who
has been injured may need to stay in the hospital for
observation; some special investigation such as skull film or CT
scan may be needed to find out more about the damage.

If you notice any signs of fits or seizure or conscious change
such as confusion or irritability, severe headache or weakness in
arms or legs, trouble in walking or speaking, nausea or vomiting
that doesn't go away, get help immediately.

The other problems of injuries from falls are bleeding and
shock.

Most small cuts do not present any danger. Larger wounds,
particularly those where an artery has been damaged, can cause
severe bleeding and shock.

How to deal with bleeding? Rinse the wound with water to clean
out dirt, and use a clean cloth or gauze to apply pressure to the
wound for five minutes. Do not stop to check the wound. If blood
soaks through the gauze, apply another one on top. The following
signs tell you that you should see a doctor right away.

What are the symptoms of mild shock? The child will look pale
and clammy, will be sweating and/or shivering, vomiting and have
an increased heart rate. What you should do is lie the child down
and loosen the clothes, get the head lower than the feet, turn
the head to one side (in the case of vomiting) and do not give
anything to drink. Watch the child carefully; if after an hour
the child has not recovered, call a doctor.

Symptoms of severe shock are pale, grayish-blue skin, sweating
and cold clammy skin, weak and rapid pulse and the child may
collapse or go unconscious. If you see any of these symptoms, get
medical help quickly, lie the child down with the feet higher
than the legs, loosen tight clothes and turn the head to one side
to prevent aspiration. Treat any bleeding if you see it and keep
the child warm.

Head injuries will inevitably occur as it is part and parcel
of growing up; most times they result in nothing more than a lump
on the head but there are times when they are serious, so be
aware of the possibilities of shock and always monitor your child
after a fall.

The writer is a pediatrician based in Sanur, Bali. Questions?
Contact her at drdonya@hotmail.com or
features@thejakartapost.com.