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What to do if your baby or toddler falls

If your child has a fall, check them for serious injury such as broken bones, severe bleeding, or signs of concussion. If they fell on their head and have anything more than a minor bump – or if your child isn't acting normally – call their doctor immediately or take them to the emergency room. Serious head injuries are rare, but your child may need to be evaluated or monitored.

Toddler with boo boo
Photo credit: iStock.com / Marie_Liss

My baby fell off the bed or couch – what should I do first?

Whenever your baby or toddler takes a serious tumble – from a couch, bed, highchair, crib, or countertop, for example – you'll need to do a thorough check for injuries. If your child fell on their head and has anything more than a light bump, call your child's doctor as they may need to be evaluated.

You'll want to make sure that your child:

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  • Doesn't have any serious wounds
  • Hasn't broken any bones
  • Hasn't suffered a concussion or other internal damage, including a serious head injury (such as a skull fracture or intracranial injury).

Falls can be serious, but the good news is that baby and toddler bones are soft, so they don't fracture as easily as those of an older child.

If your child looks okay to you and seems to be acting normally: Chances are the fall didn't cause serious injury. Be thankful, but keep an eye on your child. Continue to carefully observe your child for the next 24 hours.

If you're uncomfortable with the severity of your child's fall – you think they must have gotten hurt – or if your child is acting irritable or confused, take them to the doctor or emergency room to get checked out.

It's not necessary to keep your child awake after a fall, although if they are awake it'll be easier to monitor whether they're acting okay. If your child does sleep, wake them after two hours to check they are still alert.

My baby fell on their head: How do I stay calm and recognize serious signs?

If your child has anything more than a light bump and/or is under one year old, call your child's doctor. Keep in mind that, although a bump to the head can be upsetting, serious problems are rare. If you child is crying, this is usually from pain or fright, and shouldn't last longer than 10 minutes.

Signs that your child has a more serious head injury and needs immediate medical attention include:

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  • A constant headache
  • Dizziness or slurred speech
  • Extreme irritability
  • Cannot stop crying.
  • Blood or watery fluid coming from nose or ears
  • Unequal size pupils (the dark centers of the eyes)
  • Excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking up
  • Vomiting more than 2 or 3 times

Even if your child seems fine after a bump to the head, keep a close eye on them for a day and sleep in the same room the first night so you can monitor them for any signs of a problem.

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Can I treat my baby's head bump at home?

If your child has a mild bump on their head, and you have ruled out serious injury, you can treat it at home. "Goose eggs" on the head are common, especially in children who are just learning to get around by themselves. Although a bump on the head can look scary, it doesn't necessarily mean that your child is seriously hurt. When swelling occurs on the head, much of it protrudes outward because your child's skull is just under the skin.

To help the bump go down:

  • Wrap an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas, in a pinch) in a thin towel or diaper and hold it on the bump for twenty minutes.
  • You can nurse or feed your baby or look at a book with your toddler to help distract them from the chill and discomfort.
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If you think that your child is bothered by the bump, you can give them the appropriate dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Never give your child aspirin, which can lead to a rare but serious condition called Reye's syndrome.

When to go to the ER for a fall or bump

Call 911 if your child experiences any of the following after a fall:

  • Loss of consciousness: If your child isn't breathing, have someone call 911 while you administer infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (if your child is younger than 12 months) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (if your child is 12 months or older) until help arrives. If you're alone, give your child CPR for two minutes, then call 911 yourself.
  • Unresponsiveness: If your child is breathing but not responsive – they're unconscious after the fall or you're unable to wake them up after they go to sleep, for example.
  • Bleeding that you're unable to stop with pressure.
  • A seizure.
  • Ongoing confusion or slurred speech
  • Not walking steadily
  • Not moving the neck normally

Take your child to the emergency room or talk to their doctor immediately if you notice signs of any of the following:

  • A broken bone, including an obvious deformity, like a wrist that's bent awkwardly, or an arm or a leg that seems out of alignment
  • A possible skull fracture: A soft, swollen area on the scalp, especially on the side of the head (above or behind the ear); blood showing in the whites of the eyes; or pinkish fluid or blood draining from the nose or ears
  • A concussion, such as persistent vomiting or excessive sleepiness. Depending on your child's age, look for a change in how they crawl or walk; headache or dizziness; weakness or confusion; or problems with speech, vision, or motor skills
  • A possible brain injury, such as changes in pupil size and unusual eye movements
  • Prolonged crying or screaming, which could indicate a possible internal injury such as abdominal bleeding
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Call the doctor if your child has a headache for more than 24 hours after a bump to the head.

Ways to prevent major injury from baby falls

Keep your child under adult supervision, away from ungated stairs or unguarded windows, and maintain their play area free of sharp edges, and other hazards. Most falls will not cause serious injury. Minor bumps and bruises, on the other hand, are an unavoidable part of developing motor skills and independence.

When your child does take a minor tumble, try not to overreact. Rushing to your child's side every time they stumble will wear you out and make your child overly cautious. If they're upset, calmly comfort them and encourage them to get back on their feet.

Still, falls can be serious and are a leading cause of death and injury in children under age 5. Many of these accidents are preventable.

Taking these simple actions can help keep your child safe:

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  • Cushion sharp corners on furniture. Because they're low, coffee tables are common culprits in childhood bumps and bruises. You may want to pad the corners of your coffee table, or you may find it worthwhile to pack the table away until your child is a confident, steady walker.
  • Put skidproof pads under all rugs. Or remove throw rugs until they no longer trip up your child. And use a nonslip mat to keep your child from sliding once you're bathing them in the big tub.
  • Keep your child away from elevated porches and decks, and place gates at the top and bottom of each staircase. (Choose a mesh gate rather than the accordion style, which can trap and pinch little fingers.) Place guards or acrylic glass sheets (such as Plexiglass) on banisters and railings if your child can fit through the rails.
  • Move chairs and other furniture away from windows.
  • Be extra vigilant about holding your baby or toddler on the changing table. Some tables have straps that can help you keep your grip on a real wiggler, but they may not be enough to prevent a fall, so don't ever leave your child on the table unattended.
  • Keep the stairs in your home free of objects that you might trip over when you're carrying your child.
  • Lower your child's mattress as soon as they start standing up in their crib.
  • Buckle your child into the shopping cart when you're at the grocery store. And don't walk away from the cart, even for an instant. Also strap your child into their stroller and highchair.
  • If your child starts climbing on the furniture, keep a sharp eye on them at all times. You'll want to act quickly to keep them from falling.
  • Use window guards on windows. Don't rely on screens, which aren't designed to keep kids from falling out. (If you have a double-hung window, only open it from the top).
  • Don't put your baby in a wheeled walker. Even if you're supervising your child, these walkers can move too fast for you to intervene quickly enough if your baby wheels themselves to a dangerous place, or grabs a hazardous object.

Find out more about safety and childproofing your home.

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BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

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Harris, V. et. Al. 2011. Pediatric Injuries Attributable to Falls From Windows in the United States in 1990–2008 Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/128/3/455/30717/Pediatric-Injuries-Attributable-to-Falls-From?redirectedFrom=PDFOpens a new window [Accessed May 2022]

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Safe Kids Worldwide. Undated. Falls prevention tips. https://www.safekids.org/tip/falls-prevention-tipsOpens a new window [Accessed May 2022]

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Claudia Boyd-Barrett
Claudia Boyd-Barrett is a longtime journalist based in Southern California and a proud, continually adapting mom of a teenager.
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