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Head Injuries
Children have a tendency to bump, bang and cut their heads, these are minor head injuries and can be dealt with easily with a cold compress and comfort.
However there a 3 head injuries we are concerned about, they are easy to identify as long as you know what your looking for. As a paediatric first aider we should be looking for the obvious signs.
Concussion, what is it?
Concussion is a violent shaking of the brain, which causes temporary disturbance of brain activity.
Note!
The shaking off the brain can be caused by a direct blow i.e a child's head hitting a wall or a object falling on their heads.
The shaking can also be caused by indirect shaking. i.e. the braking hard in a car while the child is in car seat, the child's head is whipped forward and then back, causing concussion.
How to recognise concussion
Concussion has a few delayed effects the following is a good method on identifying concussion.
- Brief loss of consciousness, which may be delayed, after the bump sit them down or if already on the floor give them a few minutes.
- Headache, this tends to be mild
- Nausea, vomiting
- Pale faced, blue tint on lips
- Blurred vision ask the child what they see.
Good to Know- Concussion will not kill the child
Treat Wounds
In some cases a child may have split their face or head open, Its important to
treat any blood loss, this can be completed quickly using a sterile pad and triangular bandage.
Treatment for Concussion
Should the child show no signs of recovery on the first 3 minutes, ensure the emergency services are informed.
Should the child be conscious and fully responsive, lay them down and raise their legs to aid circulation if there is a visible injury, treat, then raise head and legs.
Give the child a few minutes and then ask them to sit up. Give them a few more minutes and ask them to stand up.
Recommend that the child see a nurse or doctor
Important!
Do not move a child who has had a blow to the head, you should assess the child for injuries and concussion.
Should the child drift in and out of unconsciousness, then place them into the recovery position and call 999/112