lo hit back of head on cement

luvmybaby28

he was walking holding my h's hand and fell - first on his butt and the his head.  He was wearing a thick winter hat and cried for a few minutes.

 He is sleeping now - 2 hours after fall.  After hours phone nurse said that the fact that he doesn't have a bump is bad and that he could have a bad slow brain bleed and DIE in the next few days.

I feel sick and so scared, my husband thinks it's nothing and that the fall wasn't that bad, he doesn't want to go to the er.  I don't want to put him through going to the er, but I don't know what to do.  He was acting happy and normal for the 2 hours after fall, laughing and walking around the house.

Melly Mel

The nurse actually SAID that? WTF? Why didn't a dr. call you back? How hard do you think he hit it? If you honestly think he hit it hard enough, I would go to the ER.

kkfeb04

I may be in the minority, but he more than likely is okay, especially since he had a hat on.  If you are worried, take him to the ER. 

I can't tell you how many times DS has hit his head on cement, hardwoods, plaster walls, etc in the past year.  The last two times he hit his head on cement, he never had a bump and he stopped crying within minutes (basically as soon as he was picked up).  I never thought twice about it and the last time he hit cement was about a month and a half ago.  He likes to throw his head back during tantrums so he's constantly throwing his head around when he's not happy about holding hands, giving up toys that belong to stores, being told he can't eat the dirt/mulch, etc.

luvmybaby28

Melly Mel:

The nurse actually SAID that? WTF? Why didn't a dr. call you back? How hard do you think he hit it? If you honestly think he hit it hard enough, I would go to the ER.

I started bawling out of control, those were her exact words.  It was not from a standing position directly, but hard because it was concrete.  He had his hat on, not sure if that blocked any impact at all.  I am so anxious even when he hits his head on the carpet so her saying that took me over the edge.

Mrs.adambabycakes

So, the nurse just casually told you he could die, and didn't offer any other advice?  Do you have an urgent care you could take him to?  If you think you should take him in, then do it.  At least for peace of mind.  Hope he's okay.

Melly Mel

luvmybaby28:

Melly Mel:

The nurse actually SAID that? WTF? Why didn't a dr. call you back? How hard do you think he hit it? If you honestly think he hit it hard enough, I would go to the ER.

I started bawling out of control, those were her exact words.  It was not from a standing position directly, but hard because it was concrete.  He had his hat on, not sure if that blocked any impact at all.  I am so anxious even when he hits his head on the carpet so her saying that took me over the edge.

I would be freaked out too if I was told that. I usually err on the side of caution but if he is acting ok, I am sure he is fine. What she said would be ringing in my ears though. Ugh. She shouldn't have said that.

luvmybaby28

kkfeb04:

I may be in the minority, but he more than likely is okay, especially since he had a hat on.  If you are worried, take him to the ER. 

I can't tell you how many times DS has hit his head on cement, hardwoods, plaster walls, etc in the past year.  The last two times he hit his head on cement, he never had a bump and he stopped crying within minutes (basically as soon as he was picked up).  I never thought twice about it and the last time he hit cement was about a month and a half ago.  He likes to throw his head back during tantrums so he's constantly throwing his head around when he's not happy about holding hands, giving up toys that belong to stores, being told he can't eat the dirt/mulch, etc.

thank you for the reply, I just want to put this behind us, I feel sick that she said that, my h thinks I am crazy and that we shouldn't have called.  He has hit his head many times and never had a bump, but that is not a good sign I guess.  I appreciate your reply, I imagine kids must hit their heads on cement, walls, tile, etc every day and not die, she didn't need to say that to me.

luvmybaby28

Mrs.adambabycakes:

So, the nurse just casually told you he could die, and didn't offer any other advice?  Do you have an urgent care you could take him to?  If you think you should take him in, then do it.  At least for peace of mind.  Hope he's okay.

she said to take him in to the er and get an xray, I can't imagine waking him from his nap now and enduring an er room wait.  He would be horrified and so sleepy, he went down 1 hour later than usual for his nap, probably because his mommy was a basket case.  She said it rudely as well, like I am the worst mother in the world.

Chelle112

Oh for goodness' sake. I can't believe the nurse would say something like that.

If you're really worried, then I would take him to the er and have him checked out. If he isn't showing signs of a concussion, seems alert and like normal, then I personally would not be worried. Of course, this is coming from someone whose kid is an absolute klutz and has bonked his head so many times, I've lost count.  

Tbd143

kkfeb04:

I may be in the minority, but he more than likely is okay, especially since he had a hat on.  If you are worried, take him to the ER. 

I can't tell you how many times DS has hit his head on cement, hardwoods, plaster walls, etc in the past year.  The last two times he hit his head on cement, he never had a bump and he stopped crying within minutes (basically as soon as he was picked up).  I never thought twice about it and the last time he hit cement was about a month and a half ago.  He likes to throw his head back during tantrums so he's constantly throwing his head around when he's not happy about holding hands, giving up toys that belong to stores, being told he can't eat the dirt/mulch, etc.

This. But that nurse sounds like a real peach! She either needs retraining or to find another job. That is completely uncalled for. If she thought it was serious she should be advising you to go to the ER. The goal of these nurse line are to keep people from panicking and going for no reason or something that can be helped/suggested by the nurse. I am so sorry she made a bad situation worse. I would also see if there is a way to report her. 

PepperStick

First, I hope you got the nurses name, so you can report here. What she said was completely out of line.

Second, I think if your LO has been acting normally since, and is acting normally after he wakes up, he will be fine. He was wearing a hat, he didn't fall fully from standing, ect.

If you are really concerned though, you can put a call into your own doctor and see what they say. 

jmgcoggins

luvmybaby28:

Mrs.adambabycakes:

So, the nurse just casually told you he could die, and didn't offer any other advice?  Do you have an urgent care you could take him to?  If you think you should take him in, then do it.  At least for peace of mind.  Hope he's okay.

she said to take him in to the er and get an xray, I can't imagine waking him from his nap now and enduring an er room wait.  He would be horrified and so sleepy, he went down 1 hour later than usual for his nap, probably because his mommy was a basket case.  She said it rudely as well, like I am the worst mother in the world.

 I would report that nurse. And she sounds like an idiot. A x-ray wouldn't show anything, he would need a CT. As a nurse of a kid that jumps off couches straight onto his head at times, I think your LO is going to be fine. DS has fallen on his head multiple times or hits it on stuff, he's never had a bump or bruise.

If he starts throwing up or if you look at his eyes and the pupils (the black part of his eye) is so big you can't really see any color to his eyes then take him to the ER. Those are the main signs/symptoms of a brain injury.

ETA: Also if you think he's acting funny, ask him to hold your finger with one hand then the other. If he can't grasp your finger then that's also a sign. I hope this eases your mind a bit.

pepomntpat

That nurse was a terrible b!tch. I still think I'd take him in to the ER. Do you have an urgent care?

mrsseguin

I can't believe the nurse actually said that!  Sure, the absolute worst case scenario , that could happen, but she doesn't need to tell you that!  If your that worried...I'd take him in. He probably is fine, he was acting normal.  If you notice any abnormal behavior, I'd bring him in.  It's scary cause it's one of those things where it could be something, but it could be nothing...it's so hard to judge.  I'd follow your gut though...

ecoppins

I know how panic can unhinge you. Take a death breath an assess your child. Most falls are just that, falls. He was wearing a hat and hit his bum first cried and then acted normal and is sleeping. Sounds fine to me. As pps have said, dilated eyes, not tracking, vomiting, lethargy, ect are bad signs and you should take him in. 

Dd2 fell off the couch onto our stone floors head first, cried for a bit, was playing happily, then started bleeding out of both nostrils. I wasn't home, but got a freaked out call from my sister who was babysitting them.  I took her in, she was perfectly fine, dr said she probably bumped her nose on the ground. She told me kids a pretty resilient, fall a lot and that's life. She did say though that peace of mind is priceless. If you are worried, and unsettled, take him in. 

sunnybrook.

My DH is an ER doctor. Whenever one of my DDs falls and hits her head, here's our conversation:

DH:  "Did she lose consciousness?"

Me: "No"

DH: "Did she stop breathing?"

Me: "No"

DH: "She's fine."

Seriously, that is what happens every single time. Oftentimes the ER doctors won't even do xrays or scans because they want to minimize the child's risk to radiation and the chance of anything serious from a fall is pretty slim. I'm sure your LO is fine. Just keep a close eye on him and make sure he can wake up every few hours.

Kingston54

Given what the nurse said, you should be at the ER.  Better safe than sorry.  Chances are he's fine.  I'd get to the ER asap.