During a child’s early development, falls are one of the most common accidents that may occur as soon as they learn how to roll, crawl, climb and particularly walking. Falls tend to happen when the baby is on higher or uneven ground. Nonetheless, not all baby falls demands that you rush to the emergency. However, we still highly recommend seeking a specialist to assess the injuries if you are uncertain of the severity of the fall.
It is essential to know the severity of each fall, how to address the situation and must NOT take lightly as babies are still in early development. This could also cause long term or lifetime physical, mental disability, emotional trauma and even death.
We have listed situational scenarios and precautionary assessment that you can make to determine the severity of the fall and whether your baby would need immediate medical attention.
A “Non-emergency” Fall
Accidents that may not need to seek immediate medical attention after the falls:
- There is no sign of heavy bleeding from cuts and wounds
- Minor bruises without severe or massive swelling – Note that ALL head injuries should be directed immediately to the emergency
- No visible injury signs. This check includes a gently physical examination on every part of their body
A gentle physical examination could be done by merely applying minimal pressure to every part of their body. If there is a potential misalignment of joints, deformity, or when your baby reacts to the force applied, please seek immediate medical attention for further assessment.
What to do
- Keep calm to be able to handle the situation
- Console your baby
- Place ice-pack on small bumps
- Rinse the minor cuts and bruises with water
- Use anti-bacterial creams and bandages
- Observe your baby for the next 10-15 minutes for any possible signs of severe after fall symptoms such as vomiting, concussion, seizures and prolonged cries – Should there be any of these symptoms please seek medical attention immediately.
Now that we’ve listed the “non-emergency” falls let’s look at some of the more severe falls that may need immediate medical attention.
When To Get Help: Emergency
While you mustn’t panic after you’ve seen or noticed your baby’s fall, here is a list of reasons you should seek medical attention immediately.
- Your baby loses consciousness
- Your baby begins vomiting after the fall – This may not occur immediately, and you should keep your baby under observation
- You notice blood oozing from either her nose or his ears
- You feel or see his/her skull swelling or any head injuries
- Limbs or joints looks or feels deformed – Note that you mustn’t try to move them as it might complicate the situation. Leave them that way and call the emergency line
- After a fall, your baby gets a seizure. In this case, turn your baby onto his side and contact the emergency line
- Prolonged cries
When seeking immediate medical attention, we often get conflicted between calling the emergency line and waiting for the ambulance or going straight to the hospital with our baby. We highly recommend that you contact the emergency hotline 995 first. Let them know the condition of your baby, and they will be able to provide you with the necessary steps moving forward as some injuries may need special handling or immediate attention.
**Please ensure that you ACT IMMEDIATELY if your baby suffers an injury to the head during a fall. If you are uncertain as to where the injury may have occurred, you are strongly advised to keep a close observation of your baby for potential symptoms such as vomiting and seizures. There have been situations where parents neglected these symptoms, which caused severe long term damage such as coma and even death. **
How You Can Prevent Falls in the Future
Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to prevent a baby from ever falling during their growing years. We have gathered a list of preventive measures that you could take into consideration to provide a safer environment for your child.
- The best would, of course, be NOT leaving your child unattended
- Reduce or refrain the use of a baby walker. Research has suggested that baby walkers are one of the most causes of baby injuries
- Refrain from leaving your baby unsecured on the baby seat in the car
- Install baby barriers in your home from high grounds
- At all times, keep the cribs up
- Use safety belts when necessary
- Move chairs and pieces of furniture away from windows. This act will prevent them from using the furniture as a ladder to reach the windows
- As soon as your baby starts standing up his cribs, lower the bed immediately
- Use window guards and don’t rely on screens. Window guards are more secure for your baby
Focus on preventive measures to ensure the safety of your baby and also be fully equipped with the knowledge of handling the situation should there be a case of misfortune that an accident could happen.