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Young Children and Head Injuries  
Head injuries among the very young are an all too disturbing truth, and sadly these head injuries often result in brain damage or even death. Young children and babies have a higher risk of head injuries because of the child’s vulnerable state, and the fact that the size of the head is disproportionate to the rest of the body. This larger head is quite heavy and a baby has yet to develop the adequate muscle strength and ligaments to hold it up.

Another risk factor are “soft spots”. A soft spot is an area where the skull hasn’t completely closed. When the infant receives a blow to this soft spot, it results in a direct blow to this extremely fragile and delicate brain tissue.

Another widely known complication present during the first years of life is “shaken baby syndrome”. The under developed muscles and ligaments are what make this condition so prevalent among this age group. When the child is jolted or shaken violently, for any reason, there is a very serious risk of traumatic brain injury.

This injury can occur as a result of another person shaking the baby, or as result of a car accident… any type of sudden jolt can damage the brain. When this happens the brain bounces inside the skull front and back as well as, side to side, all of this bouncing and banging around can cause a brain hemorrhage, bruising, or even a tear in the brain tissue itself. Either way these are all extremely serious injuries.

When a little one starts toddling around, the risk of head injuries once again becomes very obvious. Toddlers are very clumsy, as they are new to the whole upright moving process, and they are very prone to head injuries.

However, once a toddler starts climbing and running the risk doubles what it once was. When a small child starts walking they are clumsy and have a tendency to fall quite a bit. BUT, they are moving relatively slow, and they are very short so they don’t gain much momentum before they hit the ground.

This is not to say they don’t sustain head injuries, because they do, but when a small one starts running and climbing it becomes very dangerous because they gain the speed and height they need to sustain a very serious life threatening injury.

Since it is impossible to watch them every minute, of every day, it is best to teach them early to protect their self. Toddlers have no sense of reflexes yet, they don’t know to place their hands in front of their face if they are going to plow into something head first, or to put their hands down if they are going to fall flat on their face. It is up to you to try and teach them.

But, you must keep in mind that toddlers are equally as forgetful as they are clumsy, so you have to keep at it. Another helpful tip to keep your baby’s head mark free and healthy, is to take some preventative measures yourself.

Keep the floor free of clutter, cords, and toys…I know with a child this is easier said than done, but preventing tripping is key to preventing falling. Also, close cabinets, drawers, and remove problematic furniture from the room such as end tables and coffee tables.

These items are often prime targets for children’s heads. They result in impact blows on the front of the head, and bounce off the floor blows on the back of the head. These types of injuries cause what is called closed skull injuries, and toddlers receive these injuries everyday.

You can’t prevent every bump or scrape they will get but you can help prevent them by taking some preventative measures…even if it means rearranging your furniture.

© C.King Brain Injury Centre 2009
 		  
 

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