Minor Head Injury In Children

What is a minor head injury?

A minor head injury is most often caused by a blow to the head. This may occur from a fall, a sports injury, or a motor vehicle accident. Forceful shaking may cause a minor head injury. Minor head injuries in children are usually not a serious problem.

What are the signs and symptoms of a minor head injury?

Right after the injury, your child may be confused. Symptoms may be so minor that they are hard to notice. Some children act fine, even if they feel different than normal. You will need to watch your child more closely for a few weeks. Some symptoms may not happen for days or weeks after the minor head injury. Symptoms of a minor head injury may last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. After the injury, your child may have one or more of these symptoms:

• Mild to moderate headache.
  
  
• Dizziness or loss of balance.
  
  
• Nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (throwing up).
  
  
• Change in mood. Your child may be restless or irritable.
  
  
• Trouble thinking, remembering, or concentrating.
  
  
• Ringing in the ears.
  
  
• Short-term loss of newly-learned skills, such as toilet training.
  
  
• Drowsiness or decreased amount of energy.
  
  
• Change in how your child sleeps. He may sleep more or less than usual. He may not be able to sleep.

How is a minor head injury treated?

No treatment may be needed for a minor head injury. The most important thing you can do for your child is to watch for signs of a more serious problem. Do the following:

• Have your child rest as much as directed by his caregiver.
  
  
• Sometimes a blow to the head may cause bruising, swelling, or a cut on your child's skin. An ice pack may be used to decrease your child's pain and swelling. It is best to use ice right after an injury and up to 24 to 48 hours afterwards.
  
  
• Your child may not be able to play sports or do activities that may result in a blow to the head. Your child's caregiver will let you know when your child can return to normal activities.
  
  
• Let your child's teachers, coaches, or daycare providers know about the injury and symptoms to watch for.

What are the risks of a minor head injury?

A minor head injury may mask more serious problems, such as bleeding or a blood clot in the brain. This is why it is important to watch for worsening symptoms in your child following an injury. The risk of serious problems is decreased if you and your child carefully follow your caregiver's advice. Each additional head injury your child has may increase his risk of having problems later in life. These problems may include poor coordination (balance and movement), or trouble thinking or concentrating. Having repeated injuries to the head can be life-threatening.

Where can I find more information?

Contact the following:

• Brain Injury Association
  1608 Spring Hill Road
  Vienna , VA 22182
  Phone: 1- 703 - 761-0750
  Phone: 1- 800 - 444-6443
  Web Address: http://www.biausa.org
  

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  1600 Clifton Road
  Atlanta , GA 30333
  Phone: 1- 404 - 6393311
  Phone: 1- 800 - 3113435
  Web Address: http://www.cdc.gov
  

When should I call my child's caregiver?

Call your child's caregiver if:

• He is harder to wake than usual.
  
  
• His symptoms get worse during the first few days after his injury.
  
  
• He will not stop crying or will not eat.
  
  
• He has headaches that are very bad, or that get worse in the days after the injury.
  
  
• His symptoms last longer than 6 weeks after the injury.

When should I seek immediate help?

Seek care immediately or call 911 if your child:

• Has repeated or forceful vomiting.
  
  
• Has blood or clear fluid coming out of his ears or nose.
  
  
• Does not know where he is, or does not recognize people who should be familiar.
  
  
• Has new problems with vision (blurry or double vision).
  
  
• Has slurred or confused speech.
  
  
• Is an infant and has a bulging soft spot (fontanelle) on his head.
  
  
• Has weakness, loss of feeling, or new problems with coordination.
  
  
• Has pupils (black part in the center of the eye) that are unequal in size, and this is new for your child.
  
  
• Has a seizure.
  
  
• Cannot be woken up.
  
  
• Stops responding to you or passes out (faints).

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your child's care. Learn about your child's health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your child's caregivers to decide what care you want for your child.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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