What Should I Do If My Baby Falls and Hits Their Head on the Back?

If a baby falls and hits the back of their head, parents should not panic. Observe the baby's behavior promptly. If the child cries loudly after falling but is in good spirits and continues to play without vomiting, it is generally considered that there is no craniocerebral injury, and close observation is sufficient. However, if the child loses consciousness, does not cry or speak, vomits continuously after waking up, and is in poor spirits, this is a more serious symptom, possibly indicating intracranial injury, and prompt medical attention is required.

Under normal circumstances, the week after a fall on the back of the head is considered the critical period. Strict observation should be conducted within one week of the injury to determine if there are any abnormal symptoms, such as dizziness or fainting. If there are no abnormalities after more than a week, the baby can be considered healthy.

Falling on the back of the head is a relatively dangerous type of craniocerebral injury. This type of impact can easily cause local brainstem concussion or cerebellar contusion, which can be very dangerous and easily induce cerebral hernia and coma. Additionally, falling on the back of the head can easily cause contrecoup injury to the frontal and temporal lobes. Due to the special force mechanism, this type of injury is more likely to cause diffuse damage with a wide range of injuries and can easily lead to cerebral contusion and hemorrhage, severely causing persistent coma in patients.

If a clear fall on the back of the head is confirmed, a cranial CT scan should be performed immediately after the injury. At the same time, the patient's symptoms should be observed. If symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache, or even consciousness disorders and respiratory abnormalities occur, a repeat cranial CT scan should be conducted promptly.