Bump on the head that gets bigger

[Mum2SweetCs]

Hi all
Dd2 fell off the bed on sunday. On tuesday i noticed a lump but as the week went on it got bigger (but not sure might be mums paranoia!)

So anyway, dr said it might be a fractured skull and wants me to do an xray asap.

I am reluctant due to radiation.

Anyone have a toddler who has fallen and have had a lump get bigger?

The lump is soft but firm around 4cm

[Floweryfields]

In my experience - and we have quite a number of bumped heads of the space of a year....head bumps generally swell within 24hours of the injury and go down within the same time frame. Generally they do not get bigger over a week. None of the children I've been involved with have had fractured skulls. I have seen a child with a fractured facial bone from an injury at home and that swelled up over a number of days.
I think the risk of an untreated skull fracture would be much higher than the low radiation exposure in an xray. I think I'd go with the advice of the doctor.
When you say soft but firm - what exactly does that mean?

[Mother Goose]

I would follow the gps advice and have the X-ray. Particularly if you believe the lump has grown. The level of radiation will actually be quiet low.

[Mildez]

If its been a week I would go with the X ray also. As Mother Goose said the level of radiation is pretty low especially if its only one or two shots. CT's on the other hand I would run a mile from.

[~Kim~]

I'd be inclined to get it xrayed too.

We've had lots of eggs on heads here, but the lump is always gone within two days.