Jenny Mollenspoke out candidly this week after dropping her 5-year-old sonSidon his head,causing him to fracture his skulland be taken to the intensive care unit. And some parents are wondering when these types of medical measures should be taken if their own kids suffer head injuries.
While PEOPLE Health Squad PediatricianDr. Elizabeth Murraydid not treat Sid nor has any knowledge of his specific case, she did open up to PEOPLE about some general advice she would give to parents whose children experience head trauma of any kind.
“Kids bump their heads all the time! They also tend to fall and hit their heads a lot too,” she says. “Because of the high frequency in which children hurt their heads, there are a ton of data for physicians to use to help decide what type of care is needed for a child after a fall.”
“It turns out that very few need to have a computerized tomography (CT) scan done, and that’s a good thing!” Dr. Murray continues. “We don’t want to expose a childto the radiation of a CT scanunless we think we will find something that will change how we care for the child.”
“The majority of the time, after we evaluate a child, we determine that the best thing is to treat any pain from the fall and observe the child for a few hours,” she explains.
Child after being treated for a head injury.
One of the first questions Dr. Murray asks herself is how old a patient is — namely, because babies need “to be evaluated right away” after enduring a hit on the head of any kind.
“Toddlers toddle! They hit their head on everything because their foreheads are just the perfect height to hit table corners and other furniture,” says Dr. Murray. “The good news is our bodies are designed to take forehead bumps and bruises pretty well. So in most cases, a hit to the forehead, even if there is bruising, is going to be okay.”
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“Bruising and swelling to the forehead in a child that is acting normally after they calm down is usually fine,” Dr. Murray says of another post-fall symptom to watch for. “I get concerned when there is injury to the other parts of the head and it feels squishy when I touch it. Usually when you get a ‘goose egg’ after a fall, it feels pretty firm. Squishy bruises on the head need to be evaluated.”
“How is the child acting? Crying for a few minutes is normal and then being a little sleepy after calming down can be normal, too, for toddlers and younger children,” she advises. “Think about how you feel after an adrenaline rush starts to go away. When we think about alertness or level of consciousness, concerning signs are not subtle. If a child is knocked out,starts to have a seizure or is truly actingvery unusual, they need immediate evaluation.”
While vomiting can be a normal emotional reaction to an injury, Dr. Murray warns that “many episodes of vomiting” or “uncontrollable vomiting” is something to be more concerned about.
“At the end of the day, as a parent,you know your child best andyou know your comfort level best. If something doesn’t seem right to you, reach out to your pediatrician (yes, we are fine with taking calls from our patients at night) or seek care at a local emergency department,” Dr. Murray says.
Jenny Mollen and son Sid.Jenny Mollen/Instagram
Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen with son Sid.Abel Fermin/REX/Shutterstock
Mollen, 39, recalled her family’s “traumatic” situation on Instagram Wednesday night, explaining that her older son, whom she shares with husbandJason Biggs, had been in the intensive care unit earlier this week.
“I am forever grateful to Lenox Hill downtown and@nyphospitalfor their immediate response and aid,” shecaptioned a post, which showed herself flashing a somber smile while holding Sid, whose face was covered with an emoji. (Biggs and Mollen do not show photos of their children’s faces on social media.)
“Thank you to all of the nurses, neurologists, pediatricians, residents, cafeteria staff and brave women that keep the visitor’s bathroom clean. Not sure how this post turned into an Oscars acceptance speech … But@biggsjasonThank god for you! Thank god, thank god, thank god,” the actress and author continued.
“Ithas been a traumatic week,” Mollen admitted.
Jenny Mollen and son Sid.Jason Biggs Instagram
Jenny Mollen and Jason Biggs.Aurora Rose/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
“@jennymollensending you and your family my love,” chimed in mother of one Kinsey, 47. “I am so glad Sid is okay!! That must have been so scary. As parents we try our best but things can go south in a split second. Thank you for sharing. ❤️”
Erika Christensen, who is mom to two daughters, praised Mollen’s “good work” for “getting life back on track” since the Saturday incident, adding, “Jesus, it makes me cry. 🙌🏼”
source: people.com
