Watching your baby experience a serious fall, like when your baby fell off changing table, can be quite frightening for a parent. Your first instinct after a child has had an accident is to determine if they are alright. Knowing the signs that something is seriously wrong with your child after a serious fall is essential to managing the situation. The sooner you can determine something is wrong, the sooner you will be able to get any necessary help to ensure that your child will have an optimum recovery.

Should You Put Baby to Sleep After Baby Fell Off Changing Table?

If your child has only bumped their head, such as tipping over onto the floor or tumbling after trying to take a few steps, then it should be fine to let them sleep. However, if your child has experienced a major collision or a fall from a significant distance then it is important to call your doctor or err on the side of caution. This is especially important if your child is less than a year old. You should inform your doctor about any of the details surrounding the accident and any symptoms your child has. This may include crying, becoming excessively irritable, losing consciousness, becoming lethargic or vomiting. Your doctor will tell you if you need to bring your child in or go to the emergency room.

You should call emergency medical assistance or take your child to the emergency room immediately if they are vomiting, changing in color, showing unusual drowsiness, having difficulty breathing, have difficulty with coordination or their pupils are unequal in size.

If your child does not require medical care you should still keep an eye on them following the accident. You may not need to prevent them from sleeping. In fact, a nap after a scary fall may help comfort your child. Your doctor may recommend you wake your baby every 2-3 hours to ensure that they are responding normally. If your child is alert when you wake them then it is unlikely that they are experiencing serious problems with their brain. If your child is excessively groggy or provides you with any signs that worry you then trust your instinct and call your doctor.

Experience of One Parent:

“You will have a good idea if something is wrong with your baby after a fall. My baby rolled off a bed at around 7 months and immediately after the fall he seemed fine. Four hours later he started to vomit which I thought was because of a flu bug that was going around, but after a few hours he was still lethargic and throwing up. I assumed he was just dehydrated since he had seemed fine after the fall, but I could not keep him awake. At this point I decided to take him into the ER where they performed a CT scan. He had a massive on-going bleed on his brain which was starting to clot. He was rushed to surgery around midnight and was operated on for a few hours. It’s a miracle that he came out OK and an even bigger miracle that there was no brain damage. If you are even the littlest bit worried about your baby after a fall then take them to get examined. Time is your best tool to save your baby.”

What to Do After Baby Had a Serious Fall

Baby fell off changing table is not somthing to ignore, the same is true with other serious falls. 

1. Check for External and Internal Damage

Any time your child takes a serious fall from a significant height you should check for injuries as soon as possible. You want to ensure that your child did not break any bones or sustain other serious injuries. Also check for signs of internal damage or a concussion. Baby and toddler bones are soft, so even though falls can be dangerous they are actually at a lower risk for breaking bones than older children.

2. Continue Observing Your Baby

If your child is acting normally and does not have any signs of injury then it is likely that your child is fine, but you should continue to observe them carefully for 24 hours. This is especially important if your child hit their head during the fall. If you are unsure if your child was hurt or the severity of the fall has frightened you, err on the side of caution and contact your doctor. You should also call for assistance if your child seems unreasonably confused or irritable.

3. When to Call the Doctor

If your child has lost consciousness or is not breathing, begin infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and call an emergency hotline for help. You should also get your child immediate medical care if they experience:

• A seizure
• Bleeding that does not stop when pressure is applied
• Your child is breathing but they are not responsive or you cannot wake your child when they fall asleep.
• Signs of a broken bone such as a limb sitting at an awkward angle
• Signs of a skull fracture (a swollen, soft area on their scalp, blood in the whites of the eyes or blood or pink fluid draining from the ears or eyes.
• Signs of brain injury such as unusual eye movement or changes in pupil size
• Signs of a concussion such as excessive sleepiness, vomiting, changes in how your child crawls or walks, dizziness, headache, confusion, weakness, trouble with vision, motor skills or speech
• Prolonged screaming or crying which could indicate an internal injury