Concussion In Toddlers – 4 Causes, 14 Symptoms And 5 Treatments

You probably experience great joy, watching your child play and have fun. There are times when this happiness is also coupled with some amount of fear, in case you witness your child have a fall. A head injury due to a fall in the playground or due to some unavoidable circumstances is a cause of concern for most parents.

As a parent, it is normal to get worried about the safety of your child. Toddlers, in particular, are very inquisitive by nature and it is therefore very much essential to childproof your house effectively. You certainly would not want your little bundle of joy does not get a head bump!

What Is A Concussion?

The term concussion is often associated with unconsciousness on the playing field. Well, that’s not completely untrue; however, a more apt definition of concussion is an alteration in the normal functioning of the brain due to a closed head injury when there is no external object that penetrates the skull.

• A concussion can also be called as a mild traumatic injury of the brain.
• In case, your child has suffered a fall or suffers a blow on the head while playing or hits his head hard into or with something during a game or a friendly banter, you should definitely monitor your child for signs of concussion even though he or she looks perfectly normal.
• A break from sports or lessened physical activity can help your toddler recover in a week or two in case your child suffers a concussion.

[ Read: ADHD Symptoms In Toddlers ]

Causes Of A Concussion:

The causes of concussion are pretty simple and straightforward. A concussion is usually caused due to a head injury. Some of the common causes are:

1. An accident or a sudden blow into the head during a game.
2. A fall while playing (this can happen anywhere, both indoors and outdoors).
3. A toddler hits a hard object with his or her head while exploring his surroundings.
4. A sudden and severe jerk on the head while driving in case the safety belts are not fastened.

Symptoms Of Concussion In Toddlers:

Signs of concussion in toddlers can be easily observed and in case if your child shows any of these symptoms then an immediate medical intervention is imperative.

1. Loss of consciousness.
2. Complaints of headache, vomiting, dizziness, nausea.
3. Bleeding from the nose, ears or mouth.
4. Fuzzy vision.
5. Lack of co-ordination skills like unable to catch a ball, inability to perform easy tasks etc.
6. State of confusion.
7. Not able to comprehend simple instructions.
8. Loss of memory.
9. Garbled speech or talking things that are insensible.
10. Lack of concentration.
11. Sleeping more than usual and not able to wake up even if there is a loud noise or a lot of disturbance.
12. Inability to sleep and a constant sense of anxiety.
13. Lack of interest in one’s favorite game or toys.
14. Crying profusely without any reason.

[ Read: Growing Pains In Children ]

Treatment Of Concussion:

The good news is that your child will recover from a minor concussion on his or her own within a few days and these concussions are hundred percent recoverable. The procedure of treatment of a concussion is also very simple.

1. A doctor will suggest some tests to check the functionality of the brain. Usually it is a CT Scan or a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
2. The results of these tests will show in case if there are any severe problems like torn blood vessels or a skull fracture.
3. Very minute or microscopic brain injuries will not show up in the scan as well.
4. In case, the brain was shaken or moved inside the skull due to a sudden jerk then the concussion will heal on its own within a couple of weeks.
5. In case of severe head injury, the doctor might recommend a surgery.

Of course, a head injury is a cause of concern for parents! However, these concussion are completely curable. In general, just taking rest and refraining from sports or any form of mental stress after a concussion will help your child recover faster.

Moms, do express your comments about this topic in the section below. We’d love to hear your “concussion” stories!

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