Does My Child Have a Concussion?

Is your child behaving normally after an injury or after getting hit in the head? You need to keep an eye on them and see if they are at their usual or not because a mild injury may result in your child having a concussion.

What is a concussion?

A concussion in simpler words is also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) that causes the brain to stop working normally for either a specific period or permanent. They are usually caused by falling and hitting the head on a hard surface that results in some type of trauma or by a severe hit at any part of the body that causes the head and the brain to move briskly back and forth. Car accidents and football hit right at the head are also major causes of it.

When it comes to Children, concussions are more dangerous because they are not able to tell how they feel as compared to adults so keeping an eye on them is important for any signs or symptoms because they do not appear right after an injury, they usually appear after a few hours or after even days. Signs are usually the same for any age, but for younger ones, toddlers, infants, or older children you may have to think a little different when trying to find out if they have a Concussion.

Signs and symptoms of concussion in children

Children two and over have different symptoms as compared to infants and toddlers.  The most common symptom that many of them show is a constant headache and behavioral changes.

A few alarming signs that should be kept in mind are:

• Headache (mild or severe)
• Insomnia
• Blurry vision
• Nausea
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Excessive sleep
• Lack of concentration
• Balance out
• Memory loss
• Nervous breakdown.

In many cases children may not be aware of their indications, in such cases, adults need to focus on them.

When checking signs that whether or not your child has a concussion you may be asked a few questions that may be as follows.

• Does your child seem confused or shocked?
• Does your child struggle to understand you?
• Does your child recall anything that happened to him before or after on the day of the accident?
• Has your child been clumsy lately?

Concussion in babies

Babies have different symptoms as compared to children who are older than two or are in their teens. You may notice the following signs in your baby if he has a concussion.

• Severe crying if you move the head
• irritability
• Disturbed sleep pattern. Sleep may increase or decrease
• Throwing up constantly after having food or water
• Head injury that may be visible in the form of a bump or bruise

Signs of a concussion in toddlers

Toddlers are more vocal about their injury and hence it is easier for the doctors or for the parents to identify their symptoms which may include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Different sleep patterns
• Frequent crying
• Unable to nurse
• Loss of learning new skills
• Potty training issues

What to do if you feel that your child has a concussion

If you notice that your child is having any one of the above symptoms may it be your teen, infant, or your toddler and they’ve also had a recent injury that included hitting on the head or while playing a sport or any other accident then make sure you observe them and keep all the symptoms in your mind?  It is also important that the pediatrician you book is familiar with the condition and symptoms for further assistance. You may want to book an appointment with the expert pediatrician at the Bolingbrook Pediatric Clinic just to have a check-up and make sure that your child is safe.

Alarming Situation that may mean you need to rush to the emergency room.

In a few cases, the head injury may cause a condition called hematoma in the child’s brain. This condition is a clot of blood (when the blood gathers up at the same place) and it starts squeezing it against the skull. Doctors usually call this condition a severe medical emergency case that has to be treated as soon as possible.

People should either rush to the emergency room or call for help if the child has:

• Memory loss for 24 hours or more than a day
• Not able to wake up
• Repeated vomits
• Symptoms that do not get better
• Loss of speech
• Enlargement of one eye or the pupil
• Repeated seizures that may be in the form of shaking or twitching
• Lost consciousness when hit at the accident

If your child is sleepy after having an accident or bumping their head then it is okay to let them sleep but make sure you’re around them once they are awake and keep on checking them for the next few days.

No test can rule out a concussion but your doctor may want to get a CT scan or an MRI to get a clearer picture of the brain if he thinks that there may be a possibility of any internal bleeding

If you feel that your child’s symptoms are getting worse. Make sure you rush to the nearest emergency room, the most alarming situation includes black spots in the eyes which indicate swelling around the brain and is usually life-threatening.

Treatment

Concussion has no specific treatment the only solution that the doctors refer is rest, lots and lots of rest. The more rest you take the early you will heal but if you think that a full recovery is probable within a month then that is not the case. A full salvage can take up to two months or even a year depending on the severity of the Concussion.

The most important factor that healing requires is that your both body and your mind need rest. You need to be stress-free both mentally and physically.

The more your child sleeps, the more healing of the brain will get better. So you need to make sure that you create a nice peaceful environment around the room and house for your child’s nap. His sleep routine should be early. He should sleep early and wake up early and make sure to allow the brain to stay stress-free and happy.

After your child’s diagnosis with a concussion one will have to make sure that you do not allow him any type of screen use since they overstimulate and enthuse the brain. That means no television, PC or tablets, music, or any sort of smartphone. If you’re located in Illinois and need assistance you may search the web for Bolingbrook IL Pediatrician and call us any time for help.

You need to make sure that your child does not ever have a concussion again. Frequent injuries may cause permanent damage to the brain. If your child does not improve or shows any signs of relapse after his treatment which may include symptoms like misperception, mood swings, annoyance, lack of confidence, speech problems. Make sure you book an appointment without any further delay.

A2Z Pediatrics
550 E Boughton Rd #110
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
Email: info@azmedpeds.com
Phone: 630-755-5437
Website: https://azmedpeds.com/