Question
A young child fell from a bed about fifty centimeters high and instantly developed a bump on the back of the head. The child cried out at the moment but stopped crying after being comforted. After about an hour of observation, there were no further symptoms such as vomiting. Is it necessary to go to the hospital for a head CT scan in this situation? Will this fall have an impact on the child?
Answer
Based on the description, after the child fell from the bed, a bump appeared on the back of the head. First, check if the child has any abnormal symptoms such as skin breaks, vomiting, nausea, crying, or loss of appetite. If there are no such symptoms, there should be no problem. It is recommended to go to a regular three-level A hospital’s pediatric or neurosurgery department for a head CT or MRI scan to determine if there are any fractures or skin breaks. If there are no such conditions, apply cold compresses with a towel to the bump within 24 hours after the fall, and then switch to hot compresses after 24 hours.