For any parent, seeing their child land on their back can be frightening. Even though children are inherently strong and frequently recover from small falls, a fall onto the back can occasionally indicate more serious issues. It’s imperative to know how to respond in these circumstances to make sure your child stays safe and receives the care they require.
It’s crucial to maintain your composure while first making sure your child is awake and attentive. Inquire about their level of comfort and note any indications of pain or discomfort. A fall may only cause a few bruises at most, but in other situations, there may be hidden injuries that need to be treated.
We’ll cover everything from evaluating the situation to knowing when to get professional help in this post on what to do after a back fall. If your child falls hard, you will know exactly what to do and be able to respond quickly and confidently.
The first thing to do if a child falls on their back is to remain composed and look for any indications of harm, such as pain, swelling, or trouble moving. Comfort them if they appear fine but are shocked or upset, and keep an eye out for any delayed symptoms like nausea or dizziness. It’s critical to get medical help as soon as you notice anything strange in order to rule out any serious injuries.
- Why children fall and how serious is it?
- What to pay attention to?
- How to recognize an injury?
- First aid
- Fall with a blow to the head
- Video on the topic
- An accident occurred in a private kindergarten in Makhachkala, a child fell from the stairs of the second floor.
- The child hit his head
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- A child fell on his back – what to do? First aid
- How to act in case of injury in a child? – Doctor Komarovsky
Why children fall and how serious is it?
The reasons why small children fall are obvious – unsteadiness of gait, displaced center of gravity, clumsiness and inability to quickly coordinate the movements of all parts of the body. Older children – kindergarteners and schoolchildren fall as a result of hasty movements, collisions with obstacles, improper performance of physical exercises. The most common places for infants to fall are a sofa, changing table and … a flat place. Children 2 years and older usually fall from greater heights – from swings, from a wall bars, from a slide. Nature has taken care of babies – it has created quite reliable compensatory mechanisms to protect them. The mobile bones of the skull in infants, the fontanel – are nothing more than nature"s attempt to protect the brain in the event of a fall. But if the child is no longer 5 months or a year and a half, but older, if he fell and hit his back, then you can"t rely on the protective forces of nature – although children"s bone tissue is more elastic, the spine is poorly protected. The only "gift" of nature to protect children"s vertebrae is a larger amount of cerebrospinal fluid than in adults, which acts as a shock absorber.
The fact that up to 85–90% of falls occur on the back end and only result in bruises, which gives the child and his parents hope, is encouraging. In 10-15% of cases, there is an injury, so the parents’ job is to determine what is going on as soon as possible after the fall to know how to administer first aid and what to do next.
What to pay attention to?
Measure the height first. The child is probably screaming hysterically out of shock and fear if the fall happened from the sofa. The child’s health is not seriously endangered by this height. Even more hazardous situations include a baby flying from a changing table or kids falling from a swing or slide. Evaluate the situation as soon as possible. If the child fell and got back up right away, there was probably nothing bad that happened to him. The baby’s fall is not likely to have caused any harm if he was quickly calmed down and does not exhibit any strange behavior or health decline.
The infant most likely has a serious injury if he falls and is unable to get back up, if he hits his back, neck, or limbs during the fall and gasps for air. We need medical attention right away.
How to recognize an injury?
As already mentioned, back injuries from falling on it do not happen often. This usually happens if the child falls not on a flat surface, but on some object. The most dangerous thing is if the object comes into contact with the vertebrae. When falling from a small height, swelling may form in the area of the traumatic impact, severe pain is also a sign of a bruise. A spinal fracture manifests itself in almost the same way – a lump may form on the injured vertebra in the thoracic region of the spinal column, in the lumbar or sacral. Additional symptoms – shooting pain in the lumbar or shoulder blade area, dizziness, severe headache, inability to move the limbs, loss of consciousness after a fall.
At the scene of the injury, it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a bruise and a crack or fracture of the spine. Consequently, you should always administer first aid appropriately and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
First aid
When a child falls on his back, the primary rule of first aid for adults is to not make a fuss. It is not recommended to do extra movements. Attempts to move, lift, sit up, put a child on his feet, or put him somewhere when he has a fracture run the risk of causing shrapnel, pinched discs, or spinal cord injuries. The kid needs to be as motionless as possible. Make an ambulance call, put the child back in his original position following the fall, and raise his legs a little while supporting them with whatever is available, such as a cushion, a bag, or a plush toy.
You can apply something cold to the bruise, but not a piece of ice. If the pain is severe, you need to inject the child with a dose of painkiller – into the upper thigh muscle in front. You should not turn the child over onto his stomach or side to give an injection in the butt. Pills should also be excluded, since the swallowing reflex can be impaired as a result of the injury. It is necessary to carry the child to the ambulance in the presence of 3-4 adults, this must be done as carefully as possible, without shaking and uneven movements. Transportation will also require caution. Only hospital doctors using X-ray and MRI technology will be able to determine the exact consequences of a fall on the back and prescribe the correct treatment and rehabilitation.
Fall with a blow to the head
Such a combination risks ending not only in a back injury, but also in a traumatic brain injury, which, in turn, can be closed, open and combined. Signs of a skull injury are quite difficult to immediately establish, usually this is done in the hospital, where the child is taken with suspected spinal injury. If the child got up and walked after the fall, and there was no need for an ambulance, the mother needs to be very attentive – within 24 hours you need to pay attention to the child"s complaints, his behavior. Unreasonable whining monotonous crying, lethargy, apathy, different sizes of pupils, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness, convulsions, speech impairment, confusion – all these are reasons for immediate hospitalization.
To prevent asphyxia in the event of spontaneous vomiting, the child should be placed on his side while receiving first aid. An ambulance should then be called. The child’s head and legs ought to be level.
| What happened? | What to do? |
| If the child is conscious and moving | Stay calm, check for injuries, ask how they feel. Apply an ice pack if there is a bruise or swelling. |
| If the child is unconscious or not responding | Call emergency services immediately. Do not move the child unless necessary. |
| If the child complains of pain or discomfort in the neck or back | Do not move the child. Call a doctor or take them to the emergency room. |
| If the child is crying but seems okay | Reassure them, keep an eye on them for any signs of unusual behavior. If you"re worried, consult a doctor. |
Remain calm and evaluate the situation if your child falls on their back. Verify that they are not in excruciating pain, are breathing normally, and are responsive. Keep an eye out for any overt indications of damage, such as swelling, bruises, or trouble moving.
A fall may frequently cause only mild discomfort. Seek immediate medical attention, though, if your child exhibits symptoms indicative of a more serious injury, such as weakness, dizziness, nausea, or confusion. These might be signs of a spinal injury or concussion.
It is important to monitor your child closely for the next few hours, as symptoms may appear later. Encourage them to rest and refrain from strenuous activities for a while if everything appears normal and they are not in pain so that their body has time to heal.
Although kids are tough, you as a parent can help secure their safety and peace of mind by implementing the appropriate safety measures.
