Will my nephew be alright?

Was he sitting on the floor at the time? If so, I would think he’s ok, probably have a bruise though.

He did not fall from a height. He was standing up and was trying to bend forward to pick up the ball that was under the table. He lost his balance reaching for it and fell forward, hitting his forehead. There is a small bruise with some swelling and I used some ointment for the swelling. Something tells me that he will be ok, and that there is nothing to fuss about, but I feel really guilty taking my eyes of him and I know how fragile a baby’s head is. So I just wanted a second opinion.

More people should worry at least a little about things like this as you do, Eggie, but it is very likely that the little guy is perfectly fine. As long as he moves around with normal energy after his nap, he is almost certainly OK.

But if he behaves in a drowsy or some unusual manner after waking from his nap, please seek professional medical advice promptly…

If it were my kid, I would just watch him and check to see that his pupils are the same size and the symptoms that @OneBadApple mentioned are not evident.

If he were my nephew, I probably would have run him over to Urgent Care for a quick look.

Ice for swelling, please. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel for a few minutes will keep a bump from appearing; the ointment serves no purpose.

He was very happy after his cry. We went out in the yard and he has walking normally, picking up stones and throwing them. He was also laughing when I pretended to get hit with the stones. All was well, up to now. Could he get a concussion?

Our daughter gets regular emails from a very helpful website which tells people what to expect at each monthly stage as the child grows (and she routinely forwards them to us, which we really appreciate, as it also educates us).

Our (very incredible) grandson is 10 months old, and the site mentioned that “Now is the time when the little ones begin to learn about the inevitable bumping and hurting which is normal as they grow older. This is how they start learning to be a little more careful…”

From your ‘stone-throwing fun’, it sounds like no worries, but it is very cool that you didn’t just blow the whole thing off, put your feet up, and watch soccer ( oh, alright “football”, as you people insist on calling it….)

Anyway…..good job…..

Man, it’s just that I heard the loud bump you know. I purposefully took him outside to play afterward because I would be away from the tv and away from my car keys to take him to the hospital. My sis would have been really pissed to come pick him up there.

I’m guessing that your sis can tell you about a couple of scary moments at her house as well.

You might be surprised at how well she understands….

Here is the fishtank my son shattered with his face at one year old. I did take him to the urgent care center, where they insisted he would be just fine, but agreed to take an x-ray if it would ease my mind. I believe we ended up declining because they were so sure.

I’m sure your little one is just fine. Kids bonk their heads. It happens.

Did you tell his parents? I would let them decide.

It sounds to me like he is fine, but I am not a doctor. If he starts throwing up or crying from pain (a slow bleed could cause pressure after the fact) then I would rush him to emergency. But, with what you described everything sounds ok.

For small cuts, washing the area with mild soap and warm water and application of a mild antibacterial ointment would help. In case of small bumps, like @gailcalled said an ice pack is good for easing discomfort and reducing inflammation. I would say that your nephew is just fine as long as he’s behaving normally. If he seems extra lethargic or if you notice anything weird, take him to the ER.
The classic symptom of a concussion is a brief loss of consciousness.If the baby has symptoms of vomiting, imbalance, changes in sleeping, or breathing patterns, headache, slurred speech, eye irregularities (such as enlarged pupils or crossed eyes), seizure or blood or fluid discharge from the nose, call the doctor right away.

I see that it has been awhile since you posted… but I just wanted to mention that pediatrician offices have doctors on call after hours to answer “urgent” health questions. I think that if you are wondering about a concussion, the pediatrician’s after-hours phone line is a good one to call.

I agree that he’s probably fine. I agree that you should tell the parents right away. As a parent, since the injury happened outside of my care, I would call the pediatrician to run the scenario by them over the phone. God forbid anything bad happens or there is ever a question of child abuse.

Just an update, he is just fine. Today he was back playing with his ball and he ate watermelon and was also playing in the tub for his bath. His mom saw the bruise, but most of the swelling was down so she didn’t make a fuss. Thanks guys for your concern.