Head Injury In Children

When To Call A Professional

Call for emergency help immediately if your infant falls and does not respond to your voice or touch, or if he or she appears to have trouble moving any body part. In any other situation where a baby falls and hits his or her head, call your doctor for advice. This is the safest thing to do, even if the infant appears to have no serious injuries.

Also, call for emergency help immediately if your older child hits his or her head and is unconscious (passes out). Call your doctor immediately if your child hurts his or her head and has any of the symptoms described in the Symptoms section.

Prognosis

The outlook depends on the location and severity of the injury, as well as the child's age. For example, most children with mild head injuries have an excellent prognosis with a very low risk of long-term complications. However, infants may be more likely to have complications because their brains have not finished growing.

Additional Info

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke P.O. Box 5801 Bethesda, MD 20824 Toll-Free: (800) 352-9424 http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Building 31 Room 2A32 MSC 2425 31 Center Dr. Bethesda, MD 20892-2425 Phone: (301) 496-5133 Toll-Free: (800) 370-2943 http://www.nichd.nih.gov/

American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 1080 Montreal Ave. St. Paul, MN 55116 Phone: (651) 695-2717 Toll-Free: (800) 879-1960 Fax: (651) 695-2791 http://www.aan.com/

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 141 Northwest Point Blvd. Elk Grove Village, IL 60007-1098 Phone: (847) 434-4000 Fax: (847) 434-8000 http://www.aap.org/

Family Caregiver Alliance 690 Market St. Suite 600 San Francisco, CA 94104 Phone: (415) 434-3388 Fax: (415) 434-3508 http://www.caregiver.org/

National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) 4200 Forbes Boulevard Suite 202 Lanham, MD 20706 Phone: (301) 459-5900 http://www.naric.com/naric/

Brain Injury Association 105 N. Alfred St. Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: (703) 236-6000 Toll-Free: (800) 444-6443 Fax: 703-236-6001 http://www.biausa.org/