Many children are inquisitive, full of energy, and likely to explore in places they maybe shouldn’t. in some cases, these characteristics can lead to injuries. While it’s common enough for a child to bump their head, in some cases that injury could be more serious than you first think. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas, we’re here to offer information on how to keep an eye out for serious brain injuries in children that are older than two years old.
Signs of a serious brain injury in a child
We must be clear that we are not offering medical advice. If you have reason to believe that your child has suffered a brain injury, then your best bet is to get medical attention to find out exactly what’s happened. However, it’s common for kids with brain injuries to have one or more of the following symptoms:
- A headache that keeps getting worse.
- Prolonged dizziness.
- Vomiting more than a few times in a day.
- Fluid coming from the ears or nose.
- Pupils of unequal sizes.
- Skin that’s strangely pale for more than an hour.
- Slurred speech.
- Irritability, anger, or other abnormal behavior.
- The child has a hard time walking.
- Excessive tiredness and / or a hard time waking up.
- Confusion.
- Blurry vision.
- Seizures or convulsions.
- Ringing in the ears.
- Weakness in the arms or legs.
In the event your child has been injured and hit their head, whether as a result of a fall down the stairs or a truck accident, you should look for these above symptoms for at least 24 hours after the injury.
There may or may not be physical signs of head injury
Many times parents make the mistake of assuming that if they can’t see a head wound that there isn’t a brain injury. The reality is that internal head injuries don’t necessarily resulted in cuts or abrasions on the skull. Don’t assume that the lack of a cut means there is no significant injury. If you suspect that they are suffering from a head injury, then you could get them to the doctor right away. If they’re not conscious then you should call for an ambulance.
Your next step after treatment
If your child has suffered a brain injury then your first priority should obviously be to get them medical attention. Once they’ve been treated, then you may need to contact a personal injury attorney. This is generally only the case if the accident was the result of someone else’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness.
If you believe you may have a case on your hands, then we encourage you to call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707. We offer a free consultation where we can assess your case and let you know what your options are.
