Babies and head safety

Learning to walk comes with its own falls here and there.

Usually, these are notas fatal as falls from the bed, couch or changing table.

Babies can fall from high staircases and through the spaces in balustrades when they are unsupervised.

Some babies unfortunately fall from greater heights such as uncompleted buildings.

Other children can be accidentally dropped by their caregivers, especially by tired mothers who fall asleep while clutching on to them and younger members of the family such as toddlers who may attempt to carry their baby siblings when these babies are left unattended.

Babies can suffer head injuries when they find themselves involved in road traffic accidents because they are not offered the protection of a baby car seat.

Adults who enjoy shaking babies as a form of play, or who shake them violently when upset put these children at risk of suffering head injuries.

Head injury awareness

As March 20 marks World Head Injury Awareness Day, it is important to highlight the dangers of these physical experiences to make parents and caregivers more careful with their babies.

Injuries to the developing brain (depending on the location and severity of the injury) can have unpleasant consequences which often require lifelong medical and rehabilitative attention such as physiotherapy. 

When the part of the brain responsible for motor skills and coordination is affected, there can be challenges with physical movement, balance and fine skills such as buttoning one’s shirt or successfully feeding oneself with a spoon.

These skills may look simple and easy but not such a walkover when the brain has suffered some trauma.

Speech and language development as well as memory or recall and learning can also be impacted negatively.

Children may find it difficult to focus or concentrate when being taught.

The result is that they struggle with daily functioning and are unable to perform well academically.

Sadly, this can be the end of the dream child that parents were excited about at birth.

In other circumstances, the child may find it challenging to respond to sensory stimuli that have to do with sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and body awareness.

Later in life, such children tend to have mental health concerns as a result of all these difficulties.

They may end up isolated, depressed, frustrated, even suicidal or with post-traumatic stress disorder.

This is as a result of their impeded physical, socio-emotional and vocational development making it generally challenging to successfully go to school, learn a vocation, develop relationships or function independently.

Safety

Parents and caregivers must always think about child safety and take proactive steps to prevent head injuries even when there is no child present in a place— someone’s child may show up. 

Children should not be left unattended or unsupervised in areas where there are stairs, banisters or other hazards. This is especially important in schools and other places where services for children are provided.

Safety gates, safety nets, helmets, baby car seats or carriers are all useful considerations when properly installed.

Window guards, edge protectors, protected cribs or bassinets, non-slip bathroom mats, soft flooring in sleep and play areas, properly installed swings with soft landing areas and other safety gear used on the trampoline are all useful safety equipment under adult supervision. 

Extra precaution must be taken to protect the neck and head of more vulnerable babies such as those that are born too early or who have some medical condition.

Caregivers must not shy away from disclosing head injury (even seemingly minor ones) as seeking immediate medical attention for early intervention can significantly impact recovery and long-term outcomes.

The writer is a Child Development Expert/Fellow at Zero-to-three Academy, USA.
E-mail: nanaesi_19@yahoo.co.uk