Head injury changing babys behaviour??

[Yael]

Hi everyone

On Sat morning i turned my back for less than 5 seconds and DA managed to turn 2 corners and fall down the stairs... he seemed fine but a bit sleep and out of it.. Ambos said that they can take us to hospital if we want, but that he seems ok and just to watch him, especially for certain things - blacking out, going floppy, projectile vomiting etc.. So 1.5 hrs later, DA decides to projectile vomit down the stroller... so we had a nice trip by ambulance to the Royal Childrens...

They just monitored us and said he seems fine and to keep an eye on him, but he completely hasn;t been himself since we got home (not sleeping and not very happy).. He wakes every 45 mins screaming, and did it the first part of Sat night, woke up 6am Sunday and did it all day, and then was up every 2.5 hrs through the night..

I'm just not sure if its a coincidence, as maybe he is just going through a growth spurt/developmental changes (he is very smart and knows how to do things after seeing me do it once kinda thing), or if its related to the head injury? He had a big red bump on his forhead, but thats gone away now...

I've been giving him panadaol in case he just has a headache...

Can a minor head injury change babys behaviour like this???

Anyway, we have just been to the dr and she wants to check that he doesn't have a fractured skull, so we are off to the x-ray place after he has had a nap.

The lump on his forhead has gone away, and he seems a bit happier today, but he has never been like this... I mean, he is a shocking sleeper during the day, but he wakes up happy & laughing and thats why he wont go back to sleep... This time he wakes up cry/screaming... And he was always good at night also.., but last night was horrendous.. Thank g-d, DH took the day of work so i could at least have a little nap.

I'm sure the dr thinks I'm crazy, but i know he isn't quite right.. although she said more than likely he has a bit of concussion...

Might as well get him xrayed.. just to be sure, and they will bulkbill us also.

Also thought I would try baby nurofen, incase his body is a little sore from the fall... Maybe he is having nightmares??

I feel like the worst mum in the world... seriously, i wonder if they should take him away from it... he was nowhere near the stairs, but i should have known it was a possibility.. i'm just kicking myself cos it was preventable!

Any advice is greatly welcomed!

Yael

[monnie]

Yael

Firstly...do not blame yourself...you are not the worst mum in the world...in fact, your level of concern for your little one, makes it totally clear that you are a mum that loves her DS dearly.

I don't have any advice regarding the change in behaviour except keep the Dr well informed (even if you think they think you are crazy...you're not!).

I'm sure all will turn out well...hang in there!

[Lucy]

DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF! It can and will happen to all kids, even with the most vigilant of mothers!

The key thing in your post that struck me:

but i know he isn't quite right

Go on this essential parental gut reaction.......it may be nothing, but always better to be safe than sorry.

Take care,

[{sarah}]

Awww Yael, poor you & poor DA.

I agree totally with Lucy, if you know something's not right then you keep getting him checked out until you're happy he's ok. We were on holidays in QLD at the beginning of the year & something was wrong with Zander - took him to 2 different Drs and they said he was fine but I was sure something was wrong. We got him home & took him to our regular Dr to find out he had bronchitis. I just *knew* he was not right.

[hannanat]

Yael, sometimes when a child has a fall they can have nightmares about falling. Maybe thats why he wakes screaming??

[Tracey]

Yael, dont blame yourself... (I know easier said than done)
I would also trust your instinct as his Mummy!!!

I hope everything is fine though!

[Fi]

Aww - this could have been us as Jenna landed on her head the other day when she fell off our bed.
Its bloody scary huh!

I agree with the others, and your dr - if he doesn't seem right, there is every reason for you to follow it up.

There could also be a multitude of reasons behind his crankiness. Teething? Sore tummy? Lots of options.

If there isnothing that shows up in the scan (GREAT!!) but there may be some merit in taking him to a cranial osteopath if the crankiness doesn't get better. There could always be a chance that bumped something "out" that wont show up on an xray, but an gentle osteo may be able to sort out for you.

Dont feel bad - it happens to all of us.

[christy]

*hugs* Yael its so scary. Matilda had quite a few head injuries in the early walking days. One really scared me & like the others have said, if you don't feel "right" about it, get it tested further. There is nothing wrong with making sure that there isn't a more serious injury done.

I work with animals and behaviour change is one of the biggest indications of something being wrong physically. Some animals with arthritis get aggressive first before they show signs of arthritis... etc etc. Now I'm not saying our children are like animals, BUT they can't communicate as easily with us until they are older & behaviour change may be the best indication to us as mothers that something isn't right.

[Mumma2three]

Yael, you poor thing, it must be so worrying for you, I hope all is well very soon. I would think concussion can easily cause a change in behaviour. I also know whenever my DD's are sick in anyway (even runny nose) they're not themselves. So it may just be still getting over concussion or nightmares causing him not to be himself. I hope the xray comes back all clear and DA returns to his old self asap. Thinking of you and never blame yourself, although that's what mums do! xoxoxoxox

[Melinda]

Oh Yael, it's not your fault! Don't blame yourself! I know that's easier said than done, but these things happen unfortunately! It wasn't too long ago that Jacob had a nasty fall and we had to take him to the hospital also. It was enough to keep me awake at night going over the whole thing time and time again in my head......

Jacob also started vomiting some 24 + hours after the initial injury so we had to rush him back to hospital, but it turned out that he had caught GASTRO of all things from where he had been in the hospital initially to be examined! Great! Poor little sausage had a terrible week that week....

Honestly, trust your instincts. If you feel that he's not behaving normally, then definitely get it checked out further. A little one's behaviour is often a very good indication of how they are feeling physically and never underestimate that gut instinct of yours as his Mummy - remember YOU know him better than anyone else.

[katkins]

Kat landed on her head on friday after falling off the lounge here onto tiloes. Anyway, that night she started vomitting again and again. Well off we trotted to Two diff hospitals (first one was just rediculous in waiting time) anyway, after being in short stay ward all night and the next day, we were discharged home and DD#2 started vomitting (at my mum's place as we'd sent her off once we knew Kat was being kept overnight), on way home from picking her up, DH started getting it. Westmead was packed with gastro cases when Kat was in there, so turned out Kat had picked up gastro when I went for a BT on Thursday, so fall on friday had very little to do with her vomitting and we all ended up with it. But god was I scared, first when she fell and second, when she vomitted that night. Waiting at hospital and watching her being sick and clingy, I felt so helpless! I so know how you feel Yael. I blamed myself too, but I could not have stopped it. She climbs on the lounge all the time and never falls. This one time she did, I had jess in my arms, yet still reacted fast enough to catch her as she bounced! Just not fast enough to stop her landing on her forhead! Lucky DH and his family all have very thick skulls and Kat and Jess do too!

Goodluck and I hope all is well with ur little one! I hope his behaviour goes back to normal....

[nikbrad]

Hope everything went well with your X-ray. You have done the right thing in going to the Drs. Miss M had a fall last week off her bike and hit her head on the tiles. She too went straight to sleep but woke up happy. I called my mum (she manages a Dr's surgery) because I couldn't remember if I was meant to let her sleep or not but apparently now they do - but they do say to wake them every hour to see if they are aware etc. Anyway spoke to the sister at mums work and she said if she dosn't seem herself or if she vomits to take her straight to the Dr's to be checked out. The sister also mentioned that if I felt she wasn't herself a few days later or even weeks for that matter to get her checked. You are a great mum and are doing the right thing.