It’s every parent’s nightmare: Your baby has fallen off the changing table or bed and landed on their head. To ensure you are well prepared for such an emergency, we have put together some useful tips and advice for you.
Baby has fallen out of bed – first assess the situation
No matter how careful you are, in some situations your baby may simply move faster than you thought. If your child falls from the height of a changing table or bed, they will usually land head first.
- A mild traumatic brain injury occurs when your baby lands on the back of their head, lands face down on the floor, or hits their forehead.
- Redness often appears at the point of impact and a bump develops. In some cases, bleeding may also occur. It is often believed that as long as the child is fine, there is no need to see a doctor. However, it is always advisable to consult a doctor after a fall.
- If your child falls from a height of two meters or more, serious injuries may result. Especially if the ground is very hard, the skull may fracture or a brain hemorrhage may occur. After such a fall, you will usually find your child unconscious.
- After the fall, make sure that your child remains calm. In the case of a minor fall from a low height, observe how your baby is doing after the fall. The observation period is 24 to 48 hours. If your baby is not getting better or is getting worse, see a doctor.
- If there are increasing signs that your baby has not recovered well from the fall, call the doctor immediately, report an emergency, and drive to the doctor. In such cases, any hospital will admit your baby to the emergency room.
- A serious fall with consequences can be recognized by a variety of symptoms. Observe your baby closely. Keep in mind that some symptoms may not appear until 24 to 48 hours after the fall. If your child only reacts differently the next day, attribute this to the fall, unless other things have happened.
- Keep in mind that even minor falls can be dangerous for infants under six months of age due to their thin skull bones. At this age, you should have your baby examined by a doctor immediately to be on the safe side.
Signs of a serious injury
There are numerous signs that indicate a serious injury. Your baby may be more tired or temporarily dazed. They may also not respond when you speak to them or have bleeding from their nose and ears. Fluid coming out of the nose or ears may also include clear, watery secretions. These indicate cerebrospinal fluid leakage. You must observe your little one closely and consult a doctor at the slightest suspicion. Depending on the type of injury, prompt intervention by a doctor can prevent worse consequences.
- The main symptoms after falling out of bed are nausea and vomiting in babies. Dizziness and headaches are also common, but can be difficult to detect in younger babies. Since your baby cannot yet speak, you will need to find out about these symptoms in other ways.
- Dizziness and headaches can be indicated by your child appearing much calmer than usual. They may seem dazed and perhaps even apathetic. However, the opposite is also possible. Some children become more restless, kicking wildly and crying incessantly.
- A serious injury is also evident if your little one drinks less after the fall, vomits food immediately, and their movements are slowed down.
- You can carry out checks yourself using a checklist so that you can decide whether you should go to the doctor immediately. Check whether your child can open their eyes fully as usual. Then look at their pupils. Both should be the same size when healthy.
- Take a flashlight and shine it into your baby’s eyes. Check their pupils with the flashlight every two hours to detect any changes immediately. The pupils should react and constrict if your child is unharmed. Talk to your child and assess whether they are responding as usual.
- Note: If you do not notice any of these symptoms, this does not necessarily mean that your child is unharmed. For your own peace of mind, you should always take your baby to the doctor for a check-up, ideally within 24 hours, to rule out any hidden injuries.
What to do if your child is unconscious
If your baby is unconscious after falling out of bed, it is an emergency. Talk to your child. If they do not respond, nudge them and shake them gently. If they still do not respond, call the emergency services immediately on 112. Tip: Sometimes your family doctor around the corner is quicker to respond. Call them too.
- Check whether your child is breathing. If so, lay them on their side and stay with them until the doctor arrives. Stroke them and talk to them in a calming voice.
- If your child is not breathing, give them rescue breathing until they start breathing again or until the doctor arrives.
Keep in mind that your baby’s chest is smaller than an adult’s. Only two fingers are used for chest compressions.
- In the case of a brain hemorrhage, the additional amount of blood puts pressure on the brain. This increases the pressure, which must be reduced surgically. This is done by opening the skull in emergency surgery. Brain hemorrhages usually heal well.
- If you notice clear or bloody fluid coming from your child’s nose or ears, it could be a skull base fracture.
- Note: Both cerebral hemorrhage and skull base fractures require immediate medical attention. These are life-threatening injuries that can lead to death if treated too late.
Warning signs: Call the emergency doctor
If you notice any of the following warning signs in your child within 48 hours of the fall, please call the emergency doctor or go to the emergency room of a hospital.
- Your baby loses consciousness.
- They vomit repeatedly.
- You notice external injuries to the skull that are clearly more than bruising.
- Your baby shows noticeable changes in behavior and personality.
- An older baby keeps touching their head, is very quiet or, conversely, very restless and cries continuously.
- Your baby suddenly develops a squint.
- You notice that their limbs are no longer moving and are probably paralyzed.
