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What Causes Excessive Vomiting After A Head Injury?
Question: Hi
When my daughter was 6 weeks old, i dropped a homemade mdf changing table which he Concerns
- When she was around 2 months old (less/ more, I'm unsure) A handmade mdf changing table dropped on one side of her head when I tripped feeling faint. She looked up stunned, then screamed for a couple of minutes, as I was rocking her comforting her she went from screaming to suddenly stopping and when I looked down she looked asleep. At the time I didn't even consider it to be a problem and didn't get her checked out but now I worry she may have been unconscious. She was sick later after this and around the same time was diagnosed with reflux but as she was sick before and quite an unhappy baby before this again I didn't worry. (health visitors/ doctors said maybe colic originally) With the reflux, she would projectile vomit after most milks- more in the evening and it would/ could be the entire bottle. Gaviscon didn't work but ranitidine did, however it gave her diahroeah, so I was told we couldn't keep her on it. I started her on solids early (17 weeks) and she generally stopped being sick- apart from after her afternoon bottle which still sometimes happens. However it was at this point that she started to seem a lot happier within herself. I didn't think there was anything wrong. Until she banged her head recently and I saw "worrying side effects"
- It was only then that I started feeling her head and felt a swelling near a Depressed dent in head. When I looked through photos, I found photos where her first baby hair had fallen out showing what looks like a dent? (the hair she was born with was long and so I worry may have hidden the dent that can be seen in this photo)
- Up until the next accident I didn't consider that she could have hurt herself and so didn't tell the doctors etc and now worry some of the side affects could have been misdiagnosed
- Has/ had Red behind ears and was told by docs to use more cream- worried this could have been bruising
- Looking at the photos in January/ February it looked like her face was non symmetrical (see photo) and her eyes remainder dark- with pupils unequal (see photo)
- most of the time she Cried all day most days and couldn't be consoled- took he's to the doctors but as I hadn't discussed the accident it wasn't linked and she was diagnosed with colic
- Around March time she had nearly a week of screaming in the night, arching her back throughout the night not sleeping- at the end of this time we discovered she had an ear infection- her right ear had leaked some kind of liquid all down her neck and had blocked her entire ear.
- In April a red line/ bruise suddenly appeared around her left eye which I thought must have been a scratch. However after a week or two it then went blue. It has now grown to a large blue/green wing that becomes more prominent at certain times-when crying etc. But seems to be getting bigger and there more often. Unlike veins, when touched doesn't go. A new red thing came up on Friday 23rd July within the wing. Her eyes water/ stream a lot when she isn't crying.
Since my worries I have taken her to a doctor and paediatrican who all say she is fine and that although they can feel the dent, that it's probably the shape of her skull and so won't scan her. I'm worried that this could still be a fracture and could impact on her life and have ran out of options of what to do?
Questions
- Would milestones still be met if it was a depressed fracture?
- Would she have stopped being sick with rinatidine if it was a fracture?
- Would she still be sick if a fracture now? Would there be any signs still present if she had a fracture? What signs would I see?
- Is the blue thing around her eye a bruise? Could this be a sign of a depressed fracture? Something to worry about?
- will it ever be safe for her to fly again?
- what can I do to help her?
Please help!
XXXX
When my daughter was 6 weeks old, i dropped a homemade mdf changing table which he Concerns
- When she was around 2 months old (less/ more, I'm unsure) A handmade mdf changing table dropped on one side of her head when I tripped feeling faint. She looked up stunned, then screamed for a couple of minutes, as I was rocking her comforting her she went from screaming to suddenly stopping and when I looked down she looked asleep. At the time I didn't even consider it to be a problem and didn't get her checked out but now I worry she may have been unconscious. She was sick later after this and around the same time was diagnosed with reflux but as she was sick before and quite an unhappy baby before this again I didn't worry. (health visitors/ doctors said maybe colic originally) With the reflux, she would projectile vomit after most milks- more in the evening and it would/ could be the entire bottle. Gaviscon didn't work but ranitidine did, however it gave her diahroeah, so I was told we couldn't keep her on it. I started her on solids early (17 weeks) and she generally stopped being sick- apart from after her afternoon bottle which still sometimes happens. However it was at this point that she started to seem a lot happier within herself. I didn't think there was anything wrong. Until she banged her head recently and I saw "worrying side effects"
- It was only then that I started feeling her head and felt a swelling near a Depressed dent in head. When I looked through photos, I found photos where her first baby hair had fallen out showing what looks like a dent? (the hair she was born with was long and so I worry may have hidden the dent that can be seen in this photo)
- Up until the next accident I didn't consider that she could have hurt herself and so didn't tell the doctors etc and now worry some of the side affects could have been misdiagnosed
- Has/ had Red behind ears and was told by docs to use more cream- worried this could have been bruising
- Looking at the photos in January/ February it looked like her face was non symmetrical (see photo) and her eyes remainder dark- with pupils unequal (see photo)
- most of the time she Cried all day most days and couldn't be consoled- took he's to the doctors but as I hadn't discussed the accident it wasn't linked and she was diagnosed with colic
- Around March time she had nearly a week of screaming in the night, arching her back throughout the night not sleeping- at the end of this time we discovered she had an ear infection- her right ear had leaked some kind of liquid all down her neck and had blocked her entire ear.
- In April a red line/ bruise suddenly appeared around her left eye which I thought must have been a scratch. However after a week or two it then went blue. It has now grown to a large blue/green wing that becomes more prominent at certain times-when crying etc. But seems to be getting bigger and there more often. Unlike veins, when touched doesn't go. A new red thing came up on Friday 23rd July within the wing. Her eyes water/ stream a lot when she isn't crying.
Since my worries I have taken her to a doctor and paediatrican who all say she is fine and that although they can feel the dent, that it's probably the shape of her skull and so won't scan her. I'm worried that this could still be a fracture and could impact on her life and have ran out of options of what to do?
Questions
- Would milestones still be met if it was a depressed fracture?
- Would she have stopped being sick with rinatidine if it was a fracture?
- Would she still be sick if a fracture now? Would there be any signs still present if she had a fracture? What signs would I see?
- Is the blue thing around her eye a bruise? Could this be a sign of a depressed fracture? Something to worry about?
- will it ever be safe for her to fly again?
- what can I do to help her?
Please help!
XXXX
Brief Answer:
It is necessary to scan her.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for using HCM.
I have read your questions and understand your concerns.
1. A depressed skull fracture if doesn't compress the brain doesn't affect milestones achievement.
2. Ranitidine usually is successful in stopping vomiting due to increased acid production or acid reflux, a depressed skull fracture alone doesn't cause vomitng (maximally it could cause vomitng first 24 hours due to associated concussion).
3. She could be still sick by fracture if there is a hematoma beneath it that compresses the brain (chronic epidural hematoma for example).
4. Bruises behind the ear and around the eye may indicate skull base fracture.
In my opinion, it is necessary to scan her in order to clarify all these doubts.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Greetings.
It is necessary to scan her.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thanks for using HCM.
I have read your questions and understand your concerns.
1. A depressed skull fracture if doesn't compress the brain doesn't affect milestones achievement.
2. Ranitidine usually is successful in stopping vomiting due to increased acid production or acid reflux, a depressed skull fracture alone doesn't cause vomitng (maximally it could cause vomitng first 24 hours due to associated concussion).
3. She could be still sick by fracture if there is a hematoma beneath it that compresses the brain (chronic epidural hematoma for example).
4. Bruises behind the ear and around the eye may indicate skull base fracture.
In my opinion, it is necessary to scan her in order to clarify all these doubts.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Greetings.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Hi
All doctors in the uk refuse to scan her, saying it is unnecessary, even private, so I am at a loss as to what to do?
XXXX
All doctors in the uk refuse to scan her, saying it is unnecessary, even private, so I am at a loss as to what to do?
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Skull x-rays?
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
What about skull x-rays?
It may sound old but it is a fast and cheap examination that could give valuable information about any skull fracture.
Greetings.
Skull x-rays?
Detailed Answer:
Welcome back.
What about skull x-rays?
It may sound old but it is a fast and cheap examination that could give valuable information about any skull fracture.
Greetings.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
No. They say that wouldbe pointless as the only thing they need to know is about the brain and given her milestones, they're not worried?
Brief Answer:
X-rays could give some clues.
Detailed Answer:
Okay, I was thinking that if x-rays will raise any doubts about fracture, then this is a must to order other imaging tests.
If x-rays results negative about fracture, at least you will find some peace.
If the Doctors are concerned about brain, it could be evaluated structurally by MRI, this imaging study hasn't negative effects such as radiation on your daughter, but a slight sedation is necessary.
Take care.
X-rays could give some clues.
Detailed Answer:
Okay, I was thinking that if x-rays will raise any doubts about fracture, then this is a must to order other imaging tests.
If x-rays results negative about fracture, at least you will find some peace.
If the Doctors are concerned about brain, it could be evaluated structurally by MRI, this imaging study hasn't negative effects such as radiation on your daughter, but a slight sedation is necessary.
Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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