Head injuries in children
A minor head injury is sometimes difficult to distinguish from a more serious injury to the brain even when there is no visible bleeding or injury on the outside of the skull.
Check for the following changes immediately after a head injury, and recheck every 2 hours for the next 24 hours:
- Confusion or not acting normal
- Abnormally deep sleep, difficulty waking up, or extreme sleepiness
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
- Blurred or double vision
- Symptoms that affect one side of the body more than the other side, such as numbness, weakness, or difficulty moving
- Vomiting more than 3 times
- Severe headache or stiff neck
- Significant changes in the pupils of the eyes
A decrease in level of consciousness following a head injury may signal a life-threatening problem caused by bleeding, injury, or swelling within or around the brain. A child's level of consciousness can deteriorate suddenly or gradually. This change can be permanent or temporary.
If a parent or caregiver cannot be sure that a child was conscious following a head injury, a visit to a health professional is needed for further evaluation.
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: September 15, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics | |
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