If you've got a busy toddler, we're guessing barely a week goes by without some sort of bump or scrape. But when it's a head bump, it's not as simple as just consoling your child with a lovely cuddle. Head bumps can be serious and there are warning signs of concussion that you need to be aware of. This week on the blog, Mini First Aid trainer and former nurse Katy tells us what happened to her little boy Rafferty when he took a tumble at the park, and we give you advice on how to treat concussion. Over to Katy . . .
How the accident happened . . .
We had spent the day at the park, with Raffi and his friends playing on their bikes and running around. Before we left we stopped for an ice cream. Raffi and his friend were swinging from a large umbrella stand, being silly and having fun. Somehow Raffi ended up on the floor, but got himself straight back up. He cried for about 30 seconds, complaining that his friend had pushed him, then ran off and they were best friends playing again. There was no mention of any pain or injury.
“No” to sweets set alarm bells ringing . . .
During the next couple of hours everything was totally normal and there was no mention of any headaches or pain. On the way home we stopped at the hairdressers so Raffi could get his hair cut. This is always a tricky visit with Raffi - he’s very proud of his floppy hair and is never very happy with us when we insist on a trim! But he does usually cheer up when they give him sweets and a juice at the end. However, on this occasion he declined the sweets and just took a bottle of water, which was my first sign that something was a little off.
The headache started . . .
On the way home he started telling me his head hurt from where he’d knocked it on the floor – this was the first time he had mentioned actually hitting his head when he fell. We went inside, and although he was a little quieter than normal, he was behaving normally and spent an hour watching T.V before eating his tea. He didn’t have any bumps or bruises on his head, so it was hard to know how seriously to take the reports of a headache.
Mum instinct is different to nurse instinct . . .
When Hayley my partner came home and we told her what had happened, she immediately panicked and said we should take him to A&E. From a Nurse point of view, I knew that Raffi’s symptoms, in an otherwise well child, would not meet the criteria for any imaging in the hospital, and he would just be observed – which as a nurse I was happy to do myself at home.
But from a Mum point of view, Hayley panicking made me doubt myself. I kept thinking that had it been a friend, I would advise them to take their child to A&E - should I be doing the same for my own child? Was I being too blasé because I see kids with head bumps every day at work? Raffi had perked up by this time though, so we decided to stay at home and see how he was overnight. The night was normal and uneventful.
By the morning we knew something was really wrong . . .
The next morning he came into our room to get ready for nursery, and we could tell something wasn’t right. Raffi was much more dozy than usual and very pale. Then he vomited.
This time I knew straight away I wanted to take him to A&E. He had now vomited following a bump to the head, and was acting unusually. For some reason I still felt a bit of a fraud, like I was overreacting, maybe as there was no bump, or because of the lack of complaining at the time of injury. I even texted my work colleagues at the hospital - they all agreed Raffi should be in A&E and told me to take him instead of coming to work. As soon as they said that, my Mum emotions took over and I started to worry thinking of all the "what ifs".
A long wait for results . . .
On the way to hospital Raffi was very quiet and then vomited again. Obviously as soon as we walked through the doors at A&E his colour came back and he seemed much better! But from the history he was sent straight for a CT scan to check for any bleeding on the brain.
After a very long wait for the results, they came back clear and Raffi was diagnosed with concussion. He was monitored for a few hours, then we were allowed to go home. We were advised that he was likely to have ongoing headaches and may have further vomits, and that we should return to A&E if he had any seizures or unconscious episodes. He complained of the headache for a couple of days after the hospital visit.
The importance of first aid knowledge . . .
The whole experience really highlighted to me how education is absolutely key in first aid. The Doctors had reasonable suspicion that he had a bleed within his skull due to the vomiting, being a bit quiet, having a headache and looking pale. All of these symptoms are quite vague and could easily have been confused with a stomach bug, stress, or flu. I’ll always be grateful for my medical and first aid training, as I at least know which are the worrying signs to look out for when my little ones are sick or injured. Often it’s impossible to diagnose at home without tests, but being able to identify when something could be wrong, and seek the appropriate help, is the most valuable skill available to parents.
Thanks to Katy, Hayley and Raffi for sharing their story – an accident like this can easily happen to any family on a day out, and being able to spot the signs of a serious head injury is crucial.
So what is concussion and what are the symptoms?
Concussion is a minor (and temporary) brain injury, and symptoms may last up to 2 weeks. They include headache, feeling sick, dizziness, drowsiness and feeling dazed.
How do I treat concussion?
Concussion can usually be treated at home by doing the following:
· Use a cold gel pack such as our Teddy on the site of the injury to bring down swelling
· Symptoms are often delayed, so stay with your child to monitor any changes in their behaviour or symptoms for at least 24 hours
· Paracetamol can be given for a headache
· Avoid any rough play for a few days after the initial injury
It’s really important to remember that all head bumps can potentially be dangerous. If your child loses consciousness, even for a moment, then you need to seek medical attention at A&E.
How would I know if it was a more serious head injury and what would I do?
The following signs would indicate you need to go to A&E or call 999:
· Vomiting after the injury
· A headache that won’t go away with paracetamol
· Crying more than is normal, especially in babies and really young children
· Changes in behaviour – like being really irritable, or not being interested in the toys that usually occupy your child
· A fit or seizure following the head injury
· Problems with walking, balance or speech
· A visible dent in the head
Whilst head bumps can be really frightening, they are usually treatable at home. But make sure you stay alert and keep monitoring for those crucial first 24 hours – as Katy, Hayley and Raffi found out, delayed symptoms are common and need to be taken seriously.
All the best, Mini First Aid x
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