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When to Call the Doctor after your Child Hits Her Head

When to Call the Doctor after your Child Hits Her Head
12 Comments

When to Call the Doctor after your Child Hits Her Head

When we hear the awful thud of a child’s head, our breath catches. A prompt cry after the injury is reassuring. It is normal for a child to feel sleepy after hitting her head, and is even O.K. for her to vomit once.

The following is a list of signals that tell you that you need to talk with your pediatrician.

If your child is (or has):

  • Under six months of age
  • Unconscious, even briefly
  • Crying for longer than 10 minutes or prolonged irritability
  • Vomiting repeatedly
  • Bleeding or other liquid draining from the ears, mouth, or nose
  • Rapid swelling just above the ear
  • Bruising around the ear or eye
  • Unable to walk or talk normally
  • Acting strangely or drowsy
  • Unequal pupil size
  • Severe, worsening headache
  • Neck pain or stiffness
  • Seizures
  • Skull indentation or large bump
  • Great force of injury (car accident, long fall, baseball bat, etc.)
  • Worsening symptoms or symptoms improve then worsen

Concussion

What next?

If any of these symptoms or situations are present or if you have any concerns, call your physician right away. Your child may be fine, but you should be in touch with an expert. If your child is unable to get up by herself immediately after the head injury, don’t move her. Call 911 and wait for emergency help to arrive.

What else?

If none of these symptoms are present, it is fine to let your child sleep, as long as you wake her every half hour for the first six hours after the fall. After this, awaken her at your bedtime and again four hours later to check on her status. If at any time your child seems to develop a suspicious symptom, call your doctor immediately.

Did the information in this article help to answer your questions? What else could we include here to help other parents who are wondering if they should call a doctor after their child has hit their head?

Reviewed by: Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin, Liat Simkhay Snyder
Last reviewed: July 02, 2010
Dr. Alan Greene

Article written by

Dr. Greene is the founder of DrGreene.com (cited by the AMA as “the pioneer physician Web site”), a practicing pediatrician, father of four, & author of Raising Baby Green & Feeding Baby Green. He appears frequently in the media including such venues as the The New York Times, the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, & the Dr. Oz Show.

 

Comments

  • Beth

    Does it matter where the child hits her head, whether front, back or side?

    • Alan Greene

      Beth, hitting the head in different locations can cause different injuries and different symptoms – but the same rules apply for when to be concerned and to get checked.

  • Marisa

    Dr. Greene, my 4 yrs. old daughter fell off the chair, hit head on the side of the desk and he cried for a couple of minutes. Couple of hours later, my husband gave her a piece of watermelon, she put it in her mouth and threw up. She said that her head hurts. Then couple of hours later, she had a low fever so I gave her tylenol. What should I do? Should I bring her to the ER?

    • Alan Greene

      Marisa, vomiting once after a fall is normal for kids who didn’t lose consciousness with the fall. So is a headache. But kids who vomit repeatedly, or whose headache is severe or keeps getting worse should be checked right away.

      • Marisa

        Thank you Dr.

  • Nicole Benenati

    Daughter fell off bike big lump in back of head and bad headache her pupils are fine should I be worried she is 10

  • Andrea Hanover

    My 6 month old was hit on the head by a walnut that fell out of a tree. I did not see the walnut hit her but after seeing another one though I shouldn’t have her under this tree. Picked her up and she had a mark on her head (the nasty green stuff) and a little dent. It was literally right beside her soft spot. She acted fine and smiley and playful. Now reading this it said if dent to call doctor. She obviously didn’t cry that hard pro would have noticed. When she fussed I though she was just bored. (She is an attention hog:)) should I call dr???

  • Chandni Babar

    my 18 months old son hits his back side of head several time on cement floor. I m worried about him kindly give me some useful advise.

    • Jess

      A chiropractor can take x-rays to see if there is any misalignment and adjust according to whatv is needed by what the x-ray reveals.

  • Alan Greene

    Priscilla – It’s scary when our kids get injured. A good rule of thumb is when parents are not confident that it’s safe to wait to take a child to a doctor, then it’s a good idea to take the child in.

    Usually getting hit on the side of the head with that amount of force doesn’t cause damage inside the head, but on the surface. Still, the combination of having a cut, big bumps, and feeling weak and dizzy with an unusual headache, suggests taking a closer look. It was enough force to leave a mark, and it certainly hurt and surprised her.

    But it was also bedtime. For some kids, a surprise bonk may be an occasion to get more time together rather than having to go to sleep.

    For some 7-year-olds, how they are acting (seeming confused or weak) may be more important than what they are saying (“I’ve lost my memory” or “I feel weak”).

    You know your daughter best! Having read the list of warning signs in the article above, your mother’s intuition is a good guide.

  • Ashley Martinez

    I dr my son is 2 we were over my aunts house yeasterday and he was playing with his cousin he fell and hit his head hard it sounded ugly he cried for about 15 minutes and I put some iceon his forehead cause he got a bump when we got home 2 hours later he fell asleeo but he woke up in the middle of the night and has a fever should I be worried do I have to call his dr ? Please let me know thank you

  • Mari Gonzalez

    My son fell from a spinning computer chair and hit the front of his head. There was a very loud sound but he has no ice. His cry was not a usual loud cry but more like a kittens meow. I applied ice and held him and within ten minutes he was asleep. He’s three and never naps and this happened in the morning about two hours after he woke from a full nights sleep. Everything I read says not to worry, but here I am….. worried.