Head Trauma: A real trauma experience

Last Sunday we rushed Kiehla to the hospital due to head trauma. She fell on her height at our bed's headboard made of metal while happily playing with her daddy. Before the incident happened, we were at my mother's place (next to our building). On our way home, I told my husband I forgot something and had to go back to mama's condo unit. I left my husband and Kiehla half way as my husband said he can manage. I stayed for few minutes at mama's house, suddenly my phone rang. It was my husband, I thought he just wanted me to go home so I hanged up and headed home. As soon as I enter our house ,I saw my husband carrying my crying Kiehla. To my dismay, I saw Kiehla's Forehead really swollen, turned violet like a major bruise. I carried her right away while my husband was so afraid telling me what had happened. He was so afraid, teary eyed and very worried. We decided to bring her to the hospital. There was no unusual signs, she did not throw up, no blood, no cut etc. She is still the same Kiehla only with a swollen forehead. Just to make sure that she is fine we brought her to the hospital. By the way, that was about eleven in the evening.

In the hospital, Kiehla looks fine already, she was playing so we suspect she is really in a good condition. The resident doctor, however, still ordered to have an xray on Kiehla's skull to check if there is any damage on her soft and delicate skull. I swear it was the hardest. She was crying the whole time we were in the xray room. She was very afraid of the machines, lights and to the xray technicians. She was really screaming very hard and looking at me as if she wanted to tell me to help and get her. I could not take it. I took her and held her. I cried. I was crying while trying to make her stop crying and assure her that mommy is there with her. I wanted to tell my husband that it was all his fault and Kiehla will not suffer like that if he just took care of Kiehla the way I do. But of course I did not want my husband to feel guilty and no one wanted it to happen anyway. After so many attempts, we finished the screening. I breastfed Kiehla after her tiring test to calm her down and put her to sleep as it was past midnight already. The doctors, nurses and other attendants attended to us religiously since my husband works in the same hospital where we were in as training officer. After some time we were ordered to go home as the test turned negative. Thank God Kiehla is ok. No crack, tissues are intack, no blood clot etc. Relieved!

My husband and Kiehla normaly plays every night before bed time. I guess because that is the only time they can play and bond together since my husband is working and most of the time comes home very late. I always remind my husband though to minimize play time before sleeping. My usual line "no more playing" And I think I am right. Night time is meant for slowing down before going to bed, story telling, singing or calming down our baby. Yesterday we went to kiehla's pediatrician for her monthly check up. I showed him my daughter's skull screening and let the doctor know what had happened. Dr. Joseph Regalado of Cardinal Santos diagnosed it as hematuria if I am not mistaken. Nothing to worry he said. Sometimes it is good to experience such incident/accident like that so we would know as parents how much we have to take care of our children especially the fathers. The fathers must experience and know sometimes how difficult the duties of a mother and moreso learned what to do in times of unwanted incidents. But of course we pray that it will never happen again.

Head Trauma Precautions
Watch out for the following:
Persistent vomiting
Severe headache
Loss of consciousness
Focal weakness
Eye changes-blurring of vision, pupils unequal in size, double vision
Bleeding or watery discharge from ear or nose.
Seizure
Gait Abnormality
Decreased level of activity
Increased sleeping time

If any of the above signs occur, please bring your child immediately to the hospital for further evaluation.