Parenthood. We’re all constantly learning about what to do, what not to do, and how to do it. But, what happens where we’re not sure what to do in regards to a sick or injured child?
Case in point:
Last Thursday, my ten year old daughter was innocently walking to a neighbor’s house. We live in a hilly area, and sometime kids in the neighborhood like to ride bikes, skateboards, roller blades (anything that produces speed) down our hill. As it turns out, when my daughter was walking to her friend’s house, a boy on roller blades came down the hill, lost control and couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stop, that is, until he found something to break his momentum, the side of my daughter’s head. Fortunately for him he was wearing a helmet, but it was unfortunate for my daughter as it turned out. Apparently, his helmet slammed into the side of her head, causing an instant concussion. When the other kids in the neighborhood brought her home, she was awake, but complaining of pain on the right side of her head, but at that time didn’t have any obvious bruising. I noticed a bump near her right temple, but again, at the time it didn’t look alarming.
She laid on the couch, and we immediately got some ice to place on her injury. My mother happened to be here, and we did the whole, “Should we or shouldn’t we take her to the hospital” thing. When my mother asked my daughter what had happened, her response was a consistent, “I don’t know”, or “I can’t remember”. At that point, I scooped her up and took her to urgent care.
By the time we arrived at the urgent care, the bump on her head was now the size of a good size egg and getting bigger. They immediately referred us to the Emergency room.
Upon arriving at the Emergency room, she began vomiting and telling us that she just wanted to sleep. It was becoming more and more obvious that she had a concussion, and they ordered a CT scan of the side of her face. When the results came back, imagine our surprise as they stated that she had three skull fractures, one on the side of her head, one above her eye, and one below her eye. They did another CT scan which confirmed another fracture in her sinus cavity.
All this from just walking to a friend’s house. Thank God she landed on the grass instead of the concrete, or we could have had many more major problems.
From the time it happened to the time we got home, she swelled up, bruised up and was just a complete mess. But, when it first happened, there was no obvious reason to rush her to the hospital.
So, how do you know? First and foremost, trust your instincts. You know how your child normally behaves and acts, so you are the best judge if something is wrong.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Injury Prevention Program you should keep these things in mind when determining if your child needs immediate medical attention:
• Acting strangely or becoming more withdrawn and less alert
• Less and less of a response when you talk to your child
• Unconsciousness or lack of response
• Rhythmic jerking and loss of consciousness (a seizure)
• Increasing trouble with breathing
• Skin or lips that look blue, purple, or gray
• Neck stiffness or rash with fever o Increasing or severe persistent pain
• A cut or burn that is large, deep, or involves the head, chest, or abdomen
• Bleeding that does not stop after applying pressure for 5 minutes
• A burn that is large or involves the hands, groin, or face
• Any loss of consciousness, confusion, headache, or vomiting after a head injury
They also advise that you talk to your pediatrician before an injury occurs to find out what to do in case of an emergency.