possible fractured skull, please give advice - Page 2

[Casha'sMommy]

First of all, s

Second, you should surely have this checked out.

GL

[number572]

Scary, I'm sorry this happened. I would also get to the nearest ER this morning. I hope everything went ok overnight but I wouldn't blow it off even if she slept fine and appears to be fine today... as far as forgiving gramma? That can wait, you'll work it out in your mind in time... but right now if I were you, I'd have to muster the courage and get my baby to the ER now.

[kama'aina mama]

Originally Posted by moon mountain mama

I took her to the pediatrician and they siad that we can do an xray if we want but it will most likely be alright.
I decided to not have the xray because they said that whether there is a skull fracture or not the treament would most likely be the same, do nothing and waite/watch.

My daughter had a similar injury at about the same age. Her doctor wanted an X-ray to make sure that there was no brain tissue being pinched in the spot where her skull was cracked. Brain tissue. That's what we are talking about here.

If there had been a problem of that nature it would have been resolvable with surgery, but first we would have to know about it. There wasn't any such problem, so the "treatment" after that was to just keep an eye on her and let it heal. But you should understand that most likely isn't the same as definitely. And you should know what that small likelihood is. It's brain damage, that could be prevented by treatment.

I would not be happy with a doctor whose response to a potential brain injury was "Eh, it'll most likely be fine."

[desertgirl01]

I can't believe I'm even reading about this! Get her into the ER immediately! A soft mushy spot on the back of her head and you're okay with waiting it out?

As far as grandma's concerned, it was an accident. An accident. A horrible one, but an accident. Don't you think she feels god-awful terrible enough about what happened?

[Heavenly]

Go to the hospital! Why is this even a question?? OMG, I'm completely at a loss for words!

[laohaire]

Deal with your feelings about grandma later. Now is the time to be focused entirely on your daughter.

I am on record in this forum for not being all that impressed with doctors. However, this is one of the things they are really good at. Please don't hesitate. The original advice doesn't sit right with me; time for a second opinion. Don't wait for cranial-sacrial or osteopathy or anything - this is an emergency. Go to the osteopath later, after the emergency has been addressed.

I am keeping your daughter in my thoughts, this is so scary.

[pianojazzgirl]

Oh wow mama. I am reading this hoping and praying that you are already in the ER. Please update us when you get a chance.

[AllyRae]

Get to the ER!! This is your BABY. The words BABY, SKULL, and FRACTURE in the same sentence, along with DROPPED on CONCRETE, and MUSHY SPOT ON HEAD all in the same post would have been grounds enough for calling the squad. I'm actually flabbergasted that it was even a question.

And I would fire your ped ASAP if your baby fell head first on concrete to the point of having an injury and he didn't get you over to the ER stat.

I pray that you and your baby were already in the ER and that the baby is ok. How completely terrifying!! :

[marybethorama]

OP I hope you took your baby to the ER.

[Mbella]

Please find another doctor! Your baby needs an x-ray/CT scan. My husband fell and hit his head on concrete earlier this year and the ER did a CT scan. Luckily he is fine. I cannot imagine not getting one to find out if YOUR BABY is seriously injured. If she were my baby I would have taken her to the ER that night.

[maygee]

Drop the doctor, and maybe report them to the board. I'm stunned that a trained professional told you to wait and see. Stunned. Baby's head first, issues about Grandma later. Please go. My stomach is flipping just reading this. Her brain could very easily be bleeding.

[xelakann]

any updates on this?

[kl5]

Originally Posted by xelakann

any updates on this?

With the way folks piled on this in this thread, I am not surprised there has been no update.

OP I hope you and your LO are doing well.

[FillingMyQuiver]

Mama, s. I know how difficult this may be to deal with. We had a similar fall when DD2 was 4mo old and she was in the care of my 20yo sister. While at the dr. for another child, I took my DS1 to the bathroom and left my 3 other children w/ my sis in the exam room. DS2 got mischievous and my sister put my 4mo DD on the exam table, forgetting that she was already rolling. DD rolled off the table onto the concrete floor, a 36" drop. She had a HUGE goose egg and bruise forming. DD ended up being okay, but like you, I was hesitant to get the CTscan. I didn't want to put my baby through the trauma of it, but DH insisted. And y'know what, I'm glad we did it. The relief of knowing there wasn't a brain bleed was worth having her cry for 5 minutes strapped to a board.

My family practitioner, who does NOT believe in fear mongering, told me of his nephew who was 9mo and fell from a table while sitting in a Bumbo seat. Since he showed no signs of trauma, they didn't take him for an x-ray. The next day they were in the ER b/c he had a brain bleed for the fall. He's okay now b/c they caught it, but it could have been a lot worse.

The ER doc told me when we brought DD2 in that standard protocol for any child under 2 who has signs of head trauma, a bruise, a goose egg, a cut or gash, they do CTscans for. You just never know, and b/c their skulls are still forming, it's better to be safe than sorry.

[hedgehogs4]

It sounds like what she is palpating is the baby's posterior fontanel - which is normal anatomy. Hopefully her MD did a thorough exam, just poor teaching for mom. It's poor form to let a mom leave confused, scared and not understanding the reason for treatment, or lack thereof. For the record - skull fractures do NOT heal by themselves and of course are a neurological emergency needing admission and monitoring. An x-ray is not a proper test for head injury and a CT is only warranted if the baby met certain criteria - I.E. severe mechanism of injury, or loss of consciousness, lethargy, repeated vomiting, etc. Studies show that CT scans, especially in children do increase cancer rates and practitioners do not order them unless they are necessary because they are NOT risk free.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by hedgehogs4

For the record - skull fractures do NOT heal by themselves

Of course they do. That's why minor skull fractures are treated with the "tincture of time" and follow-up to make sure there aren't complications such as herniation of the meninges.

[Mamacitac]

Originally Posted by prettypixels

Xray's are not invasive, but brain injuries certainly are. Please, take your baby to the hospital immediately.

I agree! head injuries..even in ADULTS aren't something to mess with. Eek!