This can happen to every child, regardless of the age and foresight of the parents - falling out of bed. It can be completely harmless or lead to significant injury or even death. It all depends on the age of the baby and the height from which he happened to fall.
What is the risk of falling out of bed
There is no bed from which it would be impossible for a child to fall. Even the highest grates cannot become an absolute protection against falling out, the most dexterous acrobats climb up them and sooner or later such tricks end up flying headfirst. One can imagine the fright of parents who suddenly find themselves in such a situation. According to doctors, 90% of all head injuries are fraught with only mild concussion, which passes without any treatment. But the situation can be quite serious, therefore, in case of doubt, it is best to play it safe and show the child to the doctor. Nevertheless, each parent must be able to determine the severity of the situation on their own, in order to know whether to rush with the child to the emergency room right away or you can wait, for example, until morning.
Possible consequences
The greatest danger is represented by falls from a height of more than one and a half to two meters onto a hard surface. In this case, you cannot wait a minute, you should urgently take the child to the hospital or call an ambulance, having previously described to the operator the seriousness of the situation. Sometimes, after a fall, injuries occur on the head - bruises, bumps and abrasions. Most often, they turn out to be completely harmless, and in some cases, outwardly, it is not possible to notice any damage, while internal damage puts pressure on the brain and can even become fatal.
If a clear fluid or fluid with a slight admixture of blood flows from the nose or ears, this may be a symptom of a fracture of the base of the skull, the treatment of which is urgent surgery.
What you should pay attention to
Parents whose child has fallen out of bed should, over the next hours, carefully observe their child and immediately be wary if any oddities are found in his behavior. It is best if they adhere to the following list in doing so:
- Does the child open his eyes?
- Does it react normally to the environment?
- Are the pupils the same size?
- Do the pupils constrict when they are illuminated by a flashlight?
- Does the child complain of tingling or numbness in the arms and legs?
- Does he have nausea or headache?
Falls with the forehead down are usually less traumatic than landings with the back of the head or temples.
Baby watching
But even if all these signs are not observed, observation should be continued for at least another day. If during this period the child has vomiting, headaches, impaired sensitivity or even paralysis of the limbs, strabismus, or blood continues to flow from the wound on the head, it is necessary to immediately take the baby to the hospital. If the child remains cheerful and calm, continues to eat with appetite, and nothing reminds of the past, except that, except for a lump on his forehead, one can calm down - the fall turned out to be harmless. Nevertheless, it is necessary to find out how the child fell out of bed, and to take all necessary safety measures so that the situation does not repeat itself.
