We have all experienced it, after all our little ones have a tendency to extend their physical development capabilities at the most unexpected of times, I mean, you only left them on the sofa/ bed and turned your back for a minute!
The memory seems to have a knack of remembering the most traumatic (and amazing!) times in early parenthood, one particular memory I have is allowing my second child to coo and gurgle at me on our bed one morning after a difficult night. One minute I was watching him, the next I heard a cry and was jolted out of my unexpected and inconsiderate slumber to find my baby boy no longer on the bed with me!
But I heard a cry.
Crying signals that although they are hurt they are breathing. I know that sounds rather dramatic but the cry after an accident or with an illness tells a thousand stories and the way they cry allows us the parents to make a judgement on how serious the illness or injury could be.
If and when this happens, think rationally and slowly because if they are crying you know that they are breathing and therefore the situation is not currently life threatening. Start from the top and work down. After comforting the infant lay them on the floor and perform a head to toe survey, this basically means touching and feeling for irregularities in the body. Any major damage externally should show up quite quickly so use your judgment to ascertain how injured they could be.
- How high was the sofa or bed?
- Did they roll or crawl off?
- Landed on what?
If you find that you touch a particular part of them and the crying goes up a notch investigate further.
- Can they move all of their limbs?
- Does everything look as it should be?
If you are not sure, they don’t seem ok in themselves or the crying doesn’t abate then something may be wrong, seek medical advice.
Author:
Danielle Bridge – Mother of two and Founder of ABC Life Support discusses a number of 1st Aid topics that we may come up against in our experience as parents in the Early Years. Follow ABC Life Support on Twitter and Facebook.
