The scalp is a protective helmet for the brain. It is designed to withstand hard hits to the head and bruises. Most falls involve injury to the scalp only. The scalp is rich in blood supply and a fall can result in bleeding under the skin. When the bleeding is localised at one area, it can cause a bruise and swelling. This is called scalp hematoma or goose egg. Dont be surprise at how fast the bump appears. It can quickly disappear with icepack and pressure. The size of the bump is not an indication of the gravity of the impact.
HOW TO TREAT GOOSE EGG
Ice pack, Ice pack, Ice Pack!!!!
As soon as the goose egg appears on your child’s forehead, apply ice pack to the bump. This will prevent swelling and make the bump diminish faster. Remember to cover the icepack with a towel or dish cloth to prevent the ice pack from damaging the skin. If you don’t have ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables will also do the trick. Apply ice pack to the bump for about 20 minutes at a time. You can do this throughout the whole day at about 4 hours intervals. Rarely, a large bump will leave a tiny pea-sized residual hard calcium deposit felt under the skin. Applying ice to the bump may help prevent this.
Give the victim acetaminophen to prevent any possible headaches from developing from the injury.
If there is any bleeding or cut associated with the bump, apply pressure to it with a clean cloth to stop the bleeding.
Monitor the victim carefully over the next 24 hours. Some head trauma may be so severe that they can put pressure on the brain causing it to shift . This is known as concussion. Pressure to the brain or swelling can produce these outward signs.
- extreme sleepiness
- memory loss
- sever headache
- clear fluid oozing out of victim’s ears and nose
- loss of consciousness
- prolonged crying
- Twitches on one side of the body
- trouble speaking or slurred speech
- eye signs which include crossed eyes or rolling eyes, one pupil larger than the other, tripping or running into things that indicates baby’s vision is diminished and complaints of seeing double and blurred vision in older child.
- watch baby for changes in color of skin such as turning blue.
- Watch the baby’s breathing. Is it normal or shallow?
If you see any of these signs, please seek medical attention immediately.
Goose egg bumps may take a while to disappear. Sometimes the bump calcifies and never goes away completely. If you are concerned about your baby’s bump, seek medical advice.