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Head Injury

Discharge advice for carers of babies who have suffered a head injury 

Following your baby’s assessment for a Head Injury: 

  • Do keep your baby under close observation for the next 48 hours 
  • Do continue to have your routine reviews by Community Midwife, Health Visitor or GP  
  • Do enable your baby to have plenty of rest and attempt to avoid excessive stimulation 
  • Do continue to provide normal cares to your baby and continue to feed as normal 
  • Do continue to give skin-to-skin contact and cuddles (both skin-to-skin and feeding provide comfort and reassurance to your baby, and are good opportunities to closely observe them 
  • Do give your baby analgesia if they appear distressed or in pain, IF THIS HAS BEEN PRESCRIBED BY A DOCTOR  

When your baby gets home it is very unlikely that they will have any further problems.  

But if any of the following symptoms do occur, we suggest that you bring your baby to the nearest hospital Emergency Department as soon as possible.  

  • Unconsciousness, difficulty waking them up or if your baby becomes unresponsive. 
  • Excessive or unusual vomiting (being sick). 
  • Weakness in one or more arms or legs. 
  • Reduced muscle tone or floppiness 
  • Any seizures, abnormal movements or jerking of limbs 
  • Abnormal or slow breathing 
  • Clear fluid coming out of their ear or nose. 
  • New bleeding from one or both ears 
  • Pupils of different sizes 
  • Bulging of the fontanelles (soft spots of the head) 
  • Uncontrollable crying or irritability 
  • Changes in feeding or sleeping patterns 
  • Change in skin tone/colour (e.g. becomes dusky/grey/blue/white) 

Telephone number to call the Emergency Department: 01423 553300  

Long term problems  

Most patients recover quickly from their accident and experience no long-term problems. However, some patients only develop problems after a few weeks or months. If you start to feel that things are not quite right with your baby, then please contact your doctor as soon as possible so that he/she can make sure they are recovering properly.  

Emergency Department Tel 01423-553300  

For further advice or support:  

  • Child Brain Injury Trust Tel: 0303 303 2248www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk  
  • “Headway” The Brain Injury Association Tel: 0808 800 2244 www.headway.org.uk