What To Do If Baby Falls Off Bed?

Normally babies are restless. They swap the postures or turn and twist frequently. It is common for babies to fall off a bed while sleeping or playing. Parents or caregivers panic seeing them falling on the ground. It is indeed terrifying for them but the situation should be handled calmly.⁽¹⁾ In most situations, a fall from the bed does not hurt them much except minor injuries or they may be completely alright but parents or caregivers need to be aware of the signs indicating whether the baby needs medical intervention or not.⁽²⁾

Read on to know what to do in case a baby falls from the bed.

Seeing the baby falling off a bed is terrifying for everyone surrounding them. It is important to remain calm in that situation. It is an emergency when the baby is in any of the following conditions-^{(1, 3)}

• The baby has lost consciousness
• The baby is bleeding in any part of the body
• There is a clear sign of fluid draining of the nose, ears, or eyes
• The baby is crying inconsolably
• The baby is not responding
• The baby is breathing abnormally
• The baby is vomiting post a fall
• There is a sign of excessive sleepiness
• There is a clear sign of head injury.

If there is no apparent sign of any kind of internal or external injury to the body, parents or caregivers may take time to watch the baby at home. Watching the baby for the next 24-hours is needed to find everything is going fine with the baby like:

• The baby is breathing, eating, or interacting normally
• The baby is not falling asleep or waking up normally
• The baby is recognizing the surroundings and parents normally.

Moreover, parents or caregivers who spend lots of time with the baby quickly understand that something is wrong with the baby. In such a situation, taking immediate medical support is the best decision.

If any of the signs mentioned above are visible, there are chances of occurring of several medical conditions. Let us take a look:

• Concussion: It’s a type of head injury when a baby or infant falls off a bed and their head collide with the floor first. The sudden collision causes the brain to jolt inside the skull. It would be difficult for a caregiver to understand the situation at the very first instant as a baby or infant couldn’t express their problem^{(1, 3)}. However, people surrounding him can point out some issues like the following ones:
  • Inconsolable crying
  • Vomiting
  • Irritability
  • Absolute quietness for a long period
  • Prolonged sleepiness
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Not interested in eating
  • Blank focus
  • Not responding in the usual way.
• Fracture in the Skull Occurring Due to a Fall Off Bed: There remains a high possibility of skull fracture in a baby from a fall off bed. A skull fracture could be understood from the outside:^{(1, 4)}
  • A depressed area on the head
  • Bruising around the eyes or ears or both
  • Fluid coming out of ears or eyes.
• Brain Injury: A fall can cause damage to the brain. The human brain is a highly delicate organ with millions of nerves, vessels, and tissues. Simple damage can cause several types of issues immediately or in the later stage of life.^{(1, 3)}
• Scalp Injury from a Fall Off Bed: The scalp is the outer covering of the head where hair grows. The scalp contains many blood vessels scattered all over the head. A cut or injury on the scalp may be painful for the baby. It can cause heavy bleeding as well.⁽¹⁾
• Spine Injury: Spine injury is also possible from a fall. A spine injury can be fatal if the damage is severe. A baby or infant cannot express any problem if they have a spine injury. A spine injury can be as severe as a head or brain injury.⁽³⁾
• Fracture of the Limbs: If a baby falls of a bed, the least serious situation could be a fracture of the hands and legs. This can also be identified with deformation of the area, swelling and inflammation, bruising, or in case of complete fracture, bleeding could happen.

Parents or caregivers shouldn’t wait a moment if there is a clear sign of injury. Even if there is no clear sign of injury, the baby can be taken to the hospital or clinic for an overall checkup of their health. Fall from a bed can be fatal at times. So, preventive measures should be taken so that this type of accident does not happen.^{(4, 5, 6)}

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