Infant Head Injuries

The most common causes of infant head injuries are falls or abuse. In my own life, my daughter experienced a hairline fracture to her skull at 4-months-old while my husband and I were shopping. I walked over to look at baby toys while he strolled through the plant section across the aisle. When I heard my baby crying, I turned to see him pick her up from the floor. An accident-who would think a baby could grab a rubber tree and pull it over as they walked by? When my husband reached to steady the plant, our baby tumbled backwards and slipped from his arms.

There are two main types of head injuries.

Bumps and bruises are part of growing up. Small accidents come as a part of learning to roll over, how to crawl and eventually how to pull up to the furniture and walk, but what this article focuses on are more serious infant head injuries that many times can be prevented. To simplify the matter I'll break these injuries into two categories:

• Internal head injuries – May involve: skull, blood vessels within the skull or the brain
• External head injuries to the scalp

Most childhood accidents that result in head injuries are external. Many times these are superficial but can still be frightening as a surface cut to the head tends to bleed heavily. This is due to blood vessels that grow close to the skin's surface. Whether we are talking about internal or external injuries, however, it's best to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Most infant head injuries can be prevented. The most common causes for head injuries in babies include the following:

Thousands of children are injured or killed in car accidents every year. Preventative steps include purchasing a car safety seat and using seat belts to properly secure it whenever you make a trip. Purchasing a quality car seat and learning how to secure it appropriately protects your child from incurring head injuries in the event of an accident.

Most infant head injuries due to falls occur in the home at times when the parent or caregiver experiences a distraction or lapse in attention. To prevent falls never place your baby in an infant carrier on a table or counter; always place it on the floor. Never leave your baby alone on a bed, couch, or changing table. Don't turn to get a diaper and leave your infant on the changing table unwatched for even a brief moment. Prepare ahead and have everything you need within reach. All it takes is that moment for your baby to turn or scoot for the first time.

As long as we're talking about infant head injuries, it's a good idea to mention shaken baby syndrome which is the result of abuse and causes traumatic brain injury. It occurs when a child, usually under the age of one year, is shaken violently and results in irreparable injury to the brain. Often, children who survive shaken baby syndrome live with cerebral palsy, paralysis, epilepsy, blindness, hearing loss and learning or behavioral disorders.

• 3000 children diagnosed each year
• 25 per cent of diagnosed children die
• 60 per cent of diagnosed children experience permanent disabilities
• Life expectancy of children who survive is shortened compared to peers

To understand the disastrous result of shaken baby syndrome, it is important that caregivers have experience and coping skills to deal with a crying baby. Never shake a baby. If he is crying try or check the following:

• A pacifier
• Baby is not hungry
• Baby is not too hot or too cold
• Take the baby for a ride in the car
• Call a friend or relative to come help

If your baby experiences a head injury, it's important to call the doctor if:

• Your infant loses consciousness (even for a minute)
• Your infant won't stop crying
• Your infant cannot be consoled

If the fall occurs near bedtime, even if your baby doesn't exhibit symptoms of an internal head injury, be sure to check on her often and watch her carefully for 24 hours. Watch for twitching limbs or a change in color because a trauma to the head can result in a torn blood vessel, a fractured skull or brain injury. It's not always easy to determine the extent of damage, so if you have any doubt, call your doctor.

• Infant Car Seat Covers
• Elegant Dresses for Infants
• Baby Shower Cupcakes

• Baby Shower Cake Pictures
• Free Printable Baby Shower Games
• Baby Shower Invitation Wording
• Baby Shower Poems
• Baby Shower Sayings

• Crying Baby
• Newborn Safety: Interview with Debra Holtzman
• Infant Playpen Recall
• Infant Hearing Loss: Dr. K. Todd Houston Interview
• Safe Infant Toys