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Should My 5 Year Old Who Fell And Hit His Head Be Examined?

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Posted on Sat, 5 May 2012
Question: My 5 yr old son fell off backward from a folded out sofa bed(probably 12 inches high and hit the back of his head on the floor. He does not seem to have any symptoms of head injury. That was about 12 hrs ago. Do I need to have him examined by a dr? He had no trouble getting up and doing things afterwards.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (31 minutes later)
Hello,

Thanks for writing to us.

From your description it seems that your son has suffered a minor head injury.
If you can consult a physician easily then it is best to get him examined for any neurological deficits. You can also self monitor him for any deterioration in the symptoms like unconsciousness, severe headache, blurred vision, bleeding from eyes, nose or ears, vomiting, etc in which case you need to rush to ER immediately.

Meanwhile you can do a hot compress in the area of injury give him a mild pain killer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen if there is any mild pain.

I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful. Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.

Wishing you good health.

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (1 hour later)
I have asked him numerous times today if his head hurts and he says no. I read that the affects of a head injury can appear weeks later. Is that true? How long should I reasonably be concerned about it?

Thank you so much for your help. XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal (44 minutes later)
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
Some of the neurological symptoms might manifest late but in your case it does not seem to be a serious enough injury to cause any such deficits. Still you can monitor him for around two weeks to be very sure that he is perfectly alright.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Wishing you a trouble free speedy recovery.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Rakhi Tayal

OBGYN

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 14043 Questions

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Should My 5 Year Old Who Fell And Hit His Head Be Examined?

Hello,

Thanks for writing to us.

From your description it seems that your son has suffered a minor head injury.
If you can consult a physician easily then it is best to get him examined for any neurological deficits. You can also self monitor him for any deterioration in the symptoms like unconsciousness, severe headache, blurred vision, bleeding from eyes, nose or ears, vomiting, etc in which case you need to rush to ER immediately.

Meanwhile you can do a hot compress in the area of injury give him a mild pain killer like acetaminophen or ibuprofen if there is any mild pain.

I hope my answer and recommendations are adequate and helpful. Waiting for your further follow up queries if any.

Wishing you good health.

Regards.