Brain injuries are very difficult to diagnose, and this is especially true in infants and children. The symptoms of brain injuries are often not apparent for days, and the symptoms of brain injuries resemble many other kinds of injuries. Even in adults, traumatic brain injuries are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. When brain injuries are not diagnosed in a timely fashion, the consequences can be quite serious. Brain injuries in babies even harder to recognize than brain injuries in adults due mainly to the fact that infants cannot tell you what they are feeling or experiencing in terms of symptoms. Brain Injury Signs and Symptoms One thing to watch out for, especially after your baby has been in an accident or hit their head is a bump or bleeding. Parents should stay calm even if their child's head injury bleeds heavily. The head tends to bleed more than other areas of the body. To stop bleeding, start by applying ice to the area to see if the swelling goes down. If your baby does fall unconscious, however, seek medical attention immediately. Unconsciousness can be a sign that blood has seeped into the brain. A crying baby is a good thing after a head injury because that means he/she is not unconscious. If your baby has hit his head or was in your car when you were in an accident, you must pay careful attention to his behavior. Bear in mind that symptoms of head injuries may take days to show up, so keep an eye on them even days after the incident. Other symptoms to look for include:
- Excessive vomiting
- Loss of balance
- Check your child's eyes. Are your child's eyes not focusing? Is one pupil larger than the other? Are their eyes crossing?