• Knowledgebase: Information on Specific Illnesses

    Here you will find discussions of specific illnesses and their management.

    22. My son is always falling and bumping his head - Top

    Q: My son is always falling and bumping something, especially his head; can you advise me on when I should be concerned about a head injury?

    A: In early childhood, the heaviest part of the body is the head and this is why children frequently hit there when they fall (boys tend to go head first into everything). Because the scalp/forehead have minimal muscle or fat to pad the blood vessels between the skin and bone, trauma to the head commonly leads to a "pump knot,. which is just a sudden collection of blood under the skin. This in and by itself is not dangerous. So with a hump and a child who is acting normal, most of the time they will do fine. Some symptoms that would concern you and should initiate your seeking medical advice are:

    1) loss of consciousness
    2)inability to focus eyes
    3) unequal pupils
    4) repeated vomiting
    5) inability to stop crying
    6) confusion, lethargy, lack of coordination, slurred speech
    7) breathing that is unusually rapid, slow or irregular
    8) leakage of clear liquid from nose or ear and
    9) appearance of dark-purple circles around eyes or purple discoloration behind ears within a day of the injury

    People are always concerned that after a head injury, their child should not be allowed to go to sleep. Generally going to sleep is not a problem as long as they can be easily awakened and are appropriately responsive when fully awake.

    - Updated: March 24, 2001

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    • James L Horwitz, MD

    David C. Thomas, MD

    Barbara Lindberg, PNP