First aid when toddlers fall & bull; hello healthy

Toddlers who are experiencing growth and development have a high curiosity. Their curiosity seemed unstoppable so that they seemed to have no fear in exploring everything around them. So do not be surprised, if toddlers are prone to falling because they are so active. Even though it is fairly normal, it doesn't mean you ignore all the risks that can occur when a toddler falls. You still have to be aware of the various injuries your little one may experience after falling.

First aid given when a toddler falls

When you find a child falling, it is natural to feel panic or overwhelmed, but you should try to be more calm so that you don't make mistakes when doing first aid.

The first thing that needs to be done is to thoroughly examine your little one's body, from the head, legs, waist, to the back of the body, whether there are bruises, cuts, or injuries.

To be sure, if the child can already be communicated with, You can ask your little one which body part hurts. If bruises appear as a result of a hit, you can give medicine topical or topical medications containing heparin sodium. This drug works as a blood thinner and is anticoagulant so that it has an anti-pain effect and can relieve bruises.

Check for signs of injury

If you find a toddler falling and the child complains about extreme pain in the neck or visible cuts in the neck, then try not to change his body position too much. This can be a sign of injury to the neck. If so, keep the child's neck in that position. Because the child moves too much can aggravate the injury which can be more fatal.

When the child feels pain in the head accompanied by vomiting or until he loses consciousness, you should immediately take him to the emergency room because it can indicate a head injury. It is highly recommended not to give anti-vomiting drugs because they can mask the symptoms of increased pressure inside the skull.

Likewise, when you see a dislocation in the limb, immediately take your little one to the hospital to see if he has a fracture or not.

Possible health hazards caused by falling toddlers

In certain cases, falling toddlers can experience serious injuries to the head, chest, limbs. Even if the cause of the fall is triggered by an imbalance in the body, it can indicate problems in the cerebellum, leg muscles, and disorders of the nervous system.

1. Nervous system disorders

Disorders of the nervous system that are often characterized by falling children when walking include Guillain Barre Syndrome and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Guillain Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin of the motor nerves. The cause is mostly triggered by infection. At first the symptoms are shown by weakness of the leg muscles, then muscle weakness rises to the upper limb to the breath muscles.

Meanwhile, in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, muscle weakness occurs when the child is 3-4 years old. The muscles that experience weakness include the muscles of the hips, pelvis, thighs and shoulders. In early adolescence the heart and respiratory muscles will begin to experience weakness as well.

2. Concussion

The head or neck of a toddler who is hit by a hard object when he falls can cause a head injury or what is commonly known as a concussion. This event then makes the brain inside the skull jolt, so that the brain moves to the front and back of the head pressing the inner skull bone. This condition results in temporary brain function disorders.

Signs or symptoms of a falling toddler concussion include:

The child feels excruciating pain in the head.
The muscles around the child's neck become stiff and tighten.
The child feels nauseous and doesn't stop vomiting.
The child feels restless, confused, and has difficulty recognizing the surrounding environment.
Discharge from the ear and nose opening
In toddlers under 18 months of age, there is a bulge on the crown.
The child has convulsions.

Apart from observing the symptoms, a diagnosis of a concussion can be done by doing a CT scan. Then the doctor will determine what kind of treatment is appropriate depending on the classification of the type of head injury experienced by toddlers whether the head injury is mild, moderate, or severe.

3. Spinal and neck injuries

If the impact caused by a toddler falls on the spine or coccyx, spinal cord injury can be identified by the appearance of symptoms such as stiffness and weakness in the limbs, such as the hands and feet. These symptoms can last for 30 minutes to 4 days after falling.

However, toddlers may also experience injury to other parts of the body when they have a blow to the spine. Children under 10 years of age actually have the lowest rates of spinal cord injury. They are more likely to get neck injuries from impact to the spine during a fall.

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