Head Injuries in Children

Head injuries in children can be a serious concern and require prompt medical attention. Young children are more susceptible to concussion than adults are, not only because they are more likely to be active and involved in sports, but also because their brains are not yet fully developed and thus more vulnerable to injury.

A head injury is a traumatic insult to the head that may result in injury to either, the soft tissue, the bony structures or the brain itself. These injuries can occur from road accidents, falls, assaults or can be sports-related.

The aim of this day is to remind us how and where possible we could play our role in reducing accidents and brain injuries.

World Head Injury Awareness Day advocates the correct usage of helmets and seat belts, which can significantly prevent or lessen trauma to the head in accidents.
If your head suffers a fairly mild injury, in sport, a vehicle accident, or from a simple slip and fall, it can cause symptoms you don’t expect. If it has not been addressed, it may have long-term consequences.
Head injuries can inflict major damage to the central nervous system and our brain. Even minor head trauma can lead to serious complications should the correct care and treatment not be received in time. Injury to the head can result to anything from concussion, memory loss to severe paralysis and even death. Many people are partially or fully paralysed, simply due to them not wearing the appropriate head gear at the time of the accident. Interestingly, serious brain damage can occur even if the skull remains intact.

Symptoms to look out for:

• Physical symptoms like headache, nausea or vomiting, drowsiness or fatigue, problems with your speech, dizziness or changes in sleep patterns.
• Cognitive symptoms like irritability, mood swings, a feeling of tiring easily, depression, a feeling of being confused or dazed, or an inability to concentrate.
• Sensory symptoms like blurred vision, ringing in your ears, changes in taste or sensitivity to sunlight and other bright lights, or sounds, you may need medical attention including vestibular rehabilitation therapy.

When to be worried:

• If the person can’t be roused within the first 6 hours of the injury occurring.
• If there are behavioural changes i.e aggression.
• If there is a loss or decreased level of consciousness.
• If there is a severe headache with projectile (fountain) vomiting.
• If there is speech difficulty.

What to do:

• Anyone with an injury to the head needs to be monitored for at least 24 hours.
• Call for help or transport the person to the hospital if their symptoms worsen.