Your child had a fall. What should you do? When should you head to the doctor?

Infants and toddlers are prone to rolling off beds or couches, falling out of high chairs, strollers, car seats or swings, and getting bumps and bruises from all kinds of things. The first thing to do when your child falls is to relax. Most falls are not serious. Kids are very resilient. Most falls seem worse than they really are, and usually do not require a call to your doctor or a trip to the ER.

What do I do if my child falls and really hurts themselves? Are there certain injuries or symptoms I should be looking for? And when should I take my child to the emergency room?

What to do if your child falls?

• Console your child. Stay calm and don’t panic. This will help your child calm down so you can better assess your child’s condition.
• Don’t rush to contact your doctor or call ER immediately.
• Check your child’s limbs, head, and body for any bumps, bruises, redness, swelling, or deformity. Undress your child to do this. If you don’t see any swelling or large bumps on the head or body, there is probably no significant injury.

Check for any bleeding. If there is, apply firm pressure directly over the injury with a clean cloth or bandage for five to 10 minutes.

Apply an ice pack or a cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes to injured areas. This can help reduce pain and swelling.

If you see any obvious swelling or deformity in the extremities, or your child is limping for more than a few hours, you should go to the ER.

Assess your child for a head injury.

Head injuries in children

Concussions (Temporary unconsciousness or confusion caused by a blow/fall involving the head)

Following a head injury, concussions (or traumatic brain injuries) are typically a big concern. Everybody can respond differently – particularly young children – so concussions can be a little tricky to diagnose. In general, some common concussion symptoms in children can include one or more of the following:

• Confusion or disorientation
• Clumsier than usual movements
• Deeper than usual sleep, difficulty waking up or extreme sleepiness
• Weakness or lack of energy – children 3 months or older may not move for a long time or show any desire to move
• Vomiting
• Changes in behaviour such as sadness, extreme fussiness or crying that won’t stop – which can be especially common concussion symptoms in babies and toddlers
• Lack of response to your voice or touch
• Inability to suck for more than two feedings in a row

If your child hit their head and is experiencing any of the above symptoms, call the doctor right away.

Your child’s doctor will likely recommend seeking care quickly, directing you to come into the clinic, go to urgent care or head to the emergency room depending on the symptoms you describe.

Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in children and are responsible for a significant number of emergency department visits. The injuries caused can be serious and we need to implement injury prevention strategies to reduce unnecessary falls.

Children & falls: When should I take my child to the doctor?

What to do if your child falls?

A balanced diet plays a crucial role in maintaining and boosting a child's immune system. Here are some essential nutrients that can strengthen immunity:

• Console your child. Stay calm and don’t panic. This will help your child calm down so you can better assess your child’s condition.
• Don’t rush to contact your doctor or call ER immediately.
• Check your child’s limbs, head, and body for any bumps, bruises, redness, swelling, or deformity. Undress your child to do this. If you don’t see any swelling or large bumps on the head or body, there is probably no significant injury.

Check for any bleeding. If there is, apply firm pressure directly over the injury with a clean cloth or bandage for five to 10 minutes.

Apply an ice pack or a cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes to injured areas. This can help reduce pain and swelling.

If you see any obvious swelling or deformity in the extremities, or your child is limping for more than a few hours, you should go to the ER.

Assess your child for a head injury.

Head injuries in children

Concussions (Temporary unconsciousness or confusion caused by a blow/fall involving the head)

Following a head injury, concussions (or traumatic brain injuries) are typically a big concern. Everybody can respond differently – particularly young children – so concussions can be a little tricky to diagnose. In general, some common concussion symptoms in children can include one or more of the following:

• Confusion or disorientation
• Clumsier than usual movements
• Deeper than usual sleep, difficulty waking up or extreme sleepiness
• Weakness or lack of energy – children 3 months or older may not move for a long time or show any desire to move
• Vomiting
• Changes in behaviour such as sadness, extreme fussiness or crying that won’t stop – which can be especially common concussion symptoms in babies and toddlers
• Lack of response to your voice or touch
• Inability to suck for more than two feedings in a row

If your child hit their head and is experiencing any of the above symptoms, call the doctor right away.

Your child’s doctor will likely recommend seeking care quickly, directing you to come into the clinic, go to urgent care or head to the emergency room depending on the symptoms you describe.

Falls are one of the most common causes of injuries in children and are responsible for a significant number of emergency department visits. The injuries caused can be serious and we need to implement injury prevention strategies to reduce unnecessary falls.