I don’t think I will ever forget the sight and the ‘sound’ of when my baby first rolled off the lounge.

Fortunately he was not seriously hurt, but if you had witnessed the event and saw how my husband and I reacted you may have thought quite differently!

Then there was the time he fell off the bed, crawled into the cornice of the wall, bungy jumped down the back step or ‘face planted’ into some furniture! I now know that the ‘first time is the worse time’ and every time something happens, especially with baby number 2, I am now far more in control and less over reactive (my husband, not so!).

Identifying and understanding what constitutes a serious head injury, requiring immediate medical attention, and what is only a minor head injury, requiring tender loving care is a fine line and one that you understand far better over time, but for those of you who are seeking some simple guidelines, please read on.

I have found that the injuries requiring ‘tender loving care’ follow the same pattern of events; the sound of a ‘thud’, a moment of silence and instant look of ‘shock’, an ambitious attempt on my count to make my baby laugh, failing this, minutes of squealing and streams of tears, ceasing when a favourite drink and toy is offered. Crisis adverted!

It can be difficult to tell if a head injury is serious or not and if in doubt you should always seek medical advice.

Especially never hesitate to call an Ambulance (000), if your child shows any of the following signs;

• Loss of consciousness, especially if longer than 30 seconds
• Drowsiness and does not respond to your voice
• Has other significant head injury signs, such as unequal pupils, arm and leg weakness.
• Has something stuck in their head
• Has had a fit or convulsion

Additionally, you should immediately contact your doctor and seek medical advice if your child shows any of these signs;

• Loss of consciousness for less than 30 seconds
• Has vomited 2 times or more
• Has a headache
• May have a large bruise, lump or cut on the head

And in the event that your child has not lost consciousness, and is alert and interactive, may have a small bruise or cut on their head, but otherwise seems to be acting ‘normally’ apply a cold pack to the injury and pressure to any slight bleeding. If your child is sleepy, let them sleep but you can wake them every hour to check how they feel or that they are reacting as per normal to familiar things. It is important to monitor your child and at any point you feel that things just aren’t ‘normal’ never hesitate to seek medical advice.

Now, thankfully all my experiences have been very minor and apparently statistics conclude that boys will fall more than girls. So, with that in mind, my little men and I are doing our bit for science!

Mary Dawes – Owner and Creator of FIRST AID FOR YOU. www.firstaidforyou.com.au. Specialising in baby and child first aid. Mary has over ten years experience in First Aid training along with first hand knowledge the ‘real life’ dramas that can pop up when you have two very active little boys!