Can’t find any research on the topic, has anyone seen research done during the learning to walk/crawling period?
Baby falling and hitting his head, how ok is it?
Question - Research requiredAt least in terms of immediate danger, the PECARN rules are what emergency medicine physicians look at to rule out immediate life threatening injuries and the need for a head CT scan.
Basically if it’s a fall from standing height and they are acting fine, then there is no worry. I’m not sure about any data looking at long term outcomes from repeated falls, but if from a standing height there is probably no long term effects. All toddlers fall. That’s part of toddling
I don’t have a link but when I used to work at triple zero (911 equivalent) the rule of thumb was if they fall any more than their height, ED.
I’m wondering more about the long term impact tbh, so far falls are from a sitting/standing height and I know the pecarn rule, but my husband is wondering whether repeated falls have any lasting impact on the development of the baby.
I don’t know how you would study this. You’d have to find a control group of babies that never fell and hit their heads. But I’m sure they all do; I don’t know how they’d learn to protect their heads if they never hit them.
I had a series of baby play dates with a mom whose baby never fell. She constantly moved him so that he “couldn’t” hit his head, so if he sat up she’d lay him down, would tell him not to roll, etc.
It was weird.
Maybe a study where kids fall less vs more. I know in some cultures babies live in their mother’s hands and get exposed to the real world quite late and other cultures are more lenient in the matter, so maybe a study on such groups.
There would be way to many variables in a study such as this - you could never determine if the developmental differences were due to reduced head knocks or increased adult attenti0m from being carried or those not carried developing other risk taking skills etc.
Anecdotally I have 2 boys 3 and 18m. Both are very active and gave fallen and hit their heads many times since learning to crawl at 6 months - both from a low height and above their height. So far neither have had a concussion, and both have met all developmental milestones before or n the early end of the milestone windows. My niece fell from a height and fractured her skull at 9 months. She is 3.5 and also has met all developmental milestones at or before the window.
I think your best bet at studies regarding long term impacts would br studies into the effects of repeat concussions, but that'd only be relevant if your child is becoming concussed from their head knocks.
The only similar thing we could find were studies were people got repeated knocks on their heads, like mma fighters, footballers… but it’s not the same.
There would be way to many variables in a study such as this - you could never determine if the developmental differences were due to reduced head knocks or increased adult attenti0m from being carried or those not carried developing other risk taking skills etc.
Anecdotally I have 2 boys 3 and 18m. Both are very active and gave fallen and hit their heads many times since learning to crawl at 6 months - both from a low height and above their height. So far neither have had a concussion, and both have met all developmental milestones before or n the early end of the milestone windows. My niece fell from a height and fractured her skull at 9 months. She is 3.5 and also has met all developmental milestones at or before the window.
I think your best bet at studies regarding long term impacts would br studies into the effects of repeat concussions, but that'd only be relevant if your child is becoming concussed from their head knocks.
There are too many variables, and parents are unreliable reporters. Most parents aren’t going to write down every time this happens to have an accurate count.
My suggestion to your anxiety is: since we can’t prevent baby from falling (we can’t), and there’s no evidence of brain damage or concern, there’s no point in worrying about potential Long term consequences. Baby will baby and they’ll hit their head occasionally, and we just have to keep going. Parenting is hard. I have to fight the intrusive thoughts daily.
Not OP, but my best friend is a child neurologist and she told me that there’s no lasting impact and not to worry.
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