Baby fell of the bed!!

amother

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:12 am

This morning, I was half asleep with my baby in the bed with me, and I heard a loud thunk and hysterical crying. My 5 m.o. fell off!! She was able to be comforted after a few minutes, and so I proceeded as normal. Is there anything I should be aware of? Should I take her to the ER even though she seems okay now? Should I not let her nap?

Isramom8

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:20 am

My baby fell off the couch. What should I do?
Whenever your baby takes a serious tumble — from a couch, bed, highchair, crib, or countertop, for example — you'll need to do a thorough check for injuries, especially if he falls on his head or back.

You'll want to make sure that your baby doesn't have any serious wounds, that he hasn't broken any bones, and that he hasn't suffered a concussion or other internal damage. Falls can be serious, but because your baby's bones are soft, they don't fracture as easily as those of an older child.

If your baby looks okay to you and seems to be acting normally, chances are the fall didn't cause serious injury. Be thankful, but keep an eye on him. Continue to carefully observe your baby for the next 24 hours, especially if he bumped or fell on his head.

And err on the side of caution: If you're uncomfortable with the severity of your baby's fall — you think he had to have gotten hurt — or if your baby is acting irritable or confused, take him to the doctor to get checked out.

Call 911 if your baby experiences any of the following after a fall:

• A loss of consciousness. If your baby isn't breathing, have someone call 911 while you administer infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until help arrives. If you're alone, give your baby CPR for two minutes, then call 911 yourself.

• Bleeding that you're unable to stop with pressure.

• If your baby is breathing but not responsive — he's unconscious after the fall or you're unable to wake him up after he goes to sleep, for example.

Take your baby to the emergency room or talk to his doctor immediately if you notice any of the following:

• Signs of a broken bone, including an obvious deformity, like a wrist that is bent awkwardly, or an arm or a leg that seems out of alignment.

• Signs of a possible skull fracture: A large, soft area on the scalp, especially on the side of the head (above or behind the ear); blood showing in the whites of his eyes; or pinkish fluid or blood draining from his nose or ears.

• Signs of a concussion, such as unusual eye movements or pupils that are unequal in size; persistent vomiting; or excessive sleepiness. Depending on your baby's age, look for a change in how he crawls or walks; weakness or confusion; or problems with speech, vision, or motor skills.

• Prolonged crying or screaming, which could indicate a possible internal injury.

Baby Center - Falls

Nuts

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:31 am

If your baby sleeps in your bed make sure she sleeps by the side of the wall that way she'll have a lesser chance of falling off the bed. It is also safer if the baby sleeps in her own crib.

Isramom8

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:44 am

Here is a page with a link to an artice I wrote on How To Cosleep Safely:
A Page From My Website

Mama Bear

Sun, May 02 2010, 11:26 am

If she isnt vomiting or lethargic, if she's acting her normal self, no need to worry about it. next time, put her by the wall, or get a safety bar.

yaeli83

Sun, May 02 2010, 12:10 pm

I believe I was the last one to post this topic about 4 months ago... of course I was amother then out of shock and embarasment.
first off, I called the dr right away...

he asked "did she cry immediatly" I said "yes"
then he asked "is she throwing up" I said "no"
"is she eating normaly" "yes"
"is she extra grogy" "No"

he said if it appears that she has no other external injuries she is probably fine.
Just keep an eye out for the next 24 hours.

My baby was sort of in shock and very edgy (completly understandably). but it went away after a few hours and B'H was her normal self again...

amother

Sun, May 02 2010, 2:32 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

If she isnt vomiting or lethargic, if she's acting her normal self, no need to worry about it. next time, put her by the wall, or get a safety bar.

Not true.
S/t similar happened to my baby, she was acting her regular self yet I wanted to be sure e/t is fine.
I took her for a CAT scan and she had a subdural hematoma.
She was kept for observation to make sure it doesn't increase. If it would've increased there was a strong possibilty that she would have needed brain surgery.

I would still go check it out.

shevi82

Sun, May 02 2010, 2:36 pm

Oyy! It happened to me to when my first was 5 months. b"h he was fine, but you should check him out.

mama-star

Sun, May 02 2010, 3:20 pm

it's happened to me a couple of times. it's terrifying. the last time it happened it was 4:30 a.m. and I logged on to imamother to get help and comfort from anyone on (thanks, chossidmom!)

amother

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:04 pm

Thanks all! The baby was acting totally normally a whole day - I kept an eye on her throughout the day, felt her head, etc - a little bump, but that's it. I'll keep watching her, though.

Thanks again!

amother

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:09 pm

Oh - and it actually wasn't from co-sleeping. I was sleeping in because she was up all night, and DH brought her back into the room when he went to shul. She was in her co-sleeper and I took her out because she was kvetching, and I must have drifted off...so it was pure neglect Sad

JessicaA622

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:13 pm

amother wrote:

Don't feel badly. It happens to everyone (or at least something similar does). My son fell off the bed when he was about 8 months old. He had just started crawling that day. I left him on the bed for maybe 10 seconds (like I normally did because he couldn't crawl off before then) and next thing I know he's screaming and on the ground. I felt like I was going to puke and didn't even tell anyone about it for a few hours. Consider it a right of passage into motherhood. (And I agree with previous posters on what to check, but also make sure that the pupils are even... if one is bigger than the other -- even without vomiting or acting unusually -- it could be a concussion... but it's likely that it's nothing but a bad memory for you. )

Last edited by JessicaA622 on Sun, May 02 2010, 10:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

exhausted

Sun, May 02 2010, 10:24 pm

A piece of advice and caution I was once given by a Hatzoloh member. When a baby or small child falls from a height, our first impulse is to run and pick them up to comfort them. He said: Don't!!! If they are on the floor, sit or lay next to them and wait until they can get up on their own and them cuddle them. The reason for this is, is if C"V there is a head, neck or spine injury, you could make the damage much worse if you move them.

CrunchyNotFlakey

Mon, May 03 2010, 12:26 am

to the subdural hematoma amother (sorry for your experience and for labeling you that)

I've taken kids to the ER for this and when you are finally seen (5 hours later), they ask you the questions that the poster posted.

When this happens during the day, and you call the pediatrician, you get the same list of "neurological symptoms" to look out for, and otherwise, to forget about it.

I'm glad for your chld's sake that your er did a scan, but most won't unless the fall is much greater than bed to floor.

Also, before my last dd was born, we bought really low beds, so the distance is only a few inches now. And I put a pillow on a yoga mat, on the floor next to my bed Smile

Plonis

Mon, May 03 2010, 10:41 am

All my kids have fallen off the bed. After the very first time we just put our mattresses on the floor. Now the height is not significant enough to worry about.