What happens when a baby is in a car accident?
A child injured in a car accident is every parent’s worst nightmare. Injury to a child, whether caused by an inexperienced driver or a tiny passenger in a car seat, can lead to long-term health consequences.
For some children, the effects of the incident may last for weeks or months. There are a very small number of young people who seem fine initially, but then experience pain months after an event.
Some of these reactions may seem unusual, but they are usually viewed as a natural consequence of an extraordinary experience.
A doctor should be consulted if your child’s symptoms last longer than a month or if they worsen.
How can a car accident affect a baby’s development?
Infants and toddlers can be severely affected by trauma. Some people mistakenly believe that babies cannot remember or be aware of terrible circumstances. Almost everything that affects older children or adults in a household can also affect babies. An example of a traumatic and life-threatening situation might be a car accident, bushfire, sudden illness, a fatality in the family, violent crime, or abuse of children.
Before the age of three, trauma can profoundly affect key aspects of child development. Parents can play a role in these development processes as well as physical and social skills, language, mobility, and emotion management. Rebuilding the family’s safety, security, and nurturing environment will aid the baby or toddler in their recovery.
What to Do After Getting Into a Car Accident With a Baby on Board
Even at the moment of impact, your first thought was of your children in the backseat. Would they be okay when the accident was over? What could you do to protect them now?
Step 1: Call 911.
Check to see if a first responder is en route. After one 911 call, police and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) should arrive at the accident scene. A police report can be issued after an investigation has been conducted. In the event your child’s condition requires hospitalization, your child’s EMTs will quickly assess his or her condition.
Step 2: Be visible to drivers and set up cones, flashers, or take other precautions to prevent a secondary collision.
Getting into a subsequent collision could worsen your child’s injuries. You may be at an increased risk of a secondary accident if your child has already been injured in a previous accident, or if their car seat was damaged during the first accident.
Step 3: Don’t move your child until first responders arrive.
There’s no point in exacerbating spinal cord or brain injuries in your child. Therefore, it is imperative that you leave your child in the same position and allow the qualified personnel to relocate your child after analyzing any potential concerns. It may be possible for you to calm your child while waiting for the EMTs to arrive if you are physically able to do so.
Step 4: Accept medical help for your child and yourself.
In order for your child to be treated for injuries, you must be evaluated and treated if you are injured. Often, this entails a trip to the hospital for a thorough examination.
In the days, weeks, and months following the crash, you can continue protecting your child by:
Step 5: Seeking the advice of a pediatrician.
After your child has been treated by emergency room doctors, it is important that you follow up with his or her primary care physician to ensure proper treatment. Your pediatrician may schedule an appointment for your kid to follow up with him/her in the office after your kid is discharged from the ER, or if your child is admitted to a facility where the pediatrician has privileges, your physician may visit your child in the hospital.
If necessary, your child’s doctor may refer you to additional doctors and specialists. You could seek the help of an orthopedist, neurologist, plastic surgeon, or physical therapist, depending on the condition your child has.
Step 6: Be on the lookout for injuries.
Symptoms of this disorder may include excessive sobbing, exhaustion, difficulty being consoled, lack of interest in toys, lack of appetite, or any other change in behavior. Any of these symptoms should be sought immediately, even if your kid had been evaluated by a physician shortly after the accident.
Step 7: Car seat replacement.
Whenever a car seat has been in an accident, especially one that was moderate to severe, it should be replaced. The seat of a vehicle that has been in a crash may not provide adequate protection in the event of another crash.
Step 8: The crash should be reported to any babysitters, daycare workers, or other caregivers.
It is important that everyone in the family knows what happened so that your child may be watched closely and any possible injuries can be reported to you and their doctor.
Step 9: Maintaining the right level of medical care.
Your child may need to be treated by a neurologist or orthopedist if you believe that particular care is necessary. The cost of it should not, however, have to come from your wallet. You should instead include these expenses in the rehabilitation of your child.
Ensure that your child’s legal rights are maintained, while also assuring that he or she receives necessary medical treatment.
Different Symptoms of Car Accident Injuries That Babies
Besides causing mental trauma and emotional distress, automobile accidents can also cause bodily injury that may have been undetectable at first due to distractions. Even serious health problems may take several days to manifest.
Those who have been involved in an accident often develop these symptoms many days after the event.
Mild Injuries
If a child hits their head, they’re likely to weep; it hurts and it scares them. It is recommended that their cry should not be longer than 10 minutes.
Your child’s head injury is most likely minor if he or she is awake and responding to you. Cold compresses will assist in reducing swelling: apply them for 20 minutes to relax the affected areas. Children can be given acetaminophen for pain, but you should consult their doctor before using any other medication.
It is important not to hide any pain or symptoms that might indicate a serious head injury. When your child is sleeping, let him or her sleep, but make sure you check on him every two to three hours.
Baby Bumps on the Head
Keep a close eye on your child after they fall and hit their head, especially if they are alert and react to you. It could indicate a brain injury if any symptoms appear after 36 to 48 hours.
There are many symptoms to watch out for, such as inconsolable crying or fussiness, vomiting more than once, balance difficulties when sitting or walking, and being unresponsive.
In the event, your child exhibits any of these symptoms or displays significant swelling, take them to the doctor immediately.
Serious Injuries
Brain injuries can impact memory, judgment, equilibrium, and reaction time, as well as sleep. Additionally, they can increase sensitivity to sound and light as well as cause headaches.
You should remove a child from play immediately if they lose consciousness or show any of the symptoms normally associated with concussions. Contact 911 or go to a local hospital if you suspect a concussion has occurred.
4 Reasons Why You Should Take Care of Your Baby After a Car Accident
Symptoms do not always appear immediately.
Symptoms may not always be obvious, and adrenaline can obscure your child’s condition after an accident. In some accidents, victims may walk away believing they are uninjured, while in fact, they suffered major internal injuries. It is best to not take any chances when it comes to your child’s health and well-being, so he/she can be examined by a specialist after an accident.
Should you need to file a compensation claim, you will receive the documentation you need.
Your claim may be denied if you fail to provide supporting documentation from your doctor proving your injuries were sustained directly as a result of the accident.
Despite the fact that compensation is unlikely to be on your top priority list after a car accident, if someone else has been negligent and hurt you or your child, you may be entitled to financial compensation for the damages you have experienced. Additional expenses such as medical, rehabilitation, loss of income, and personal injury cases can be covered.
There might be times when your child cannot express their pain.
You might not be able to tell if your child has been injured or is in pain based on his age or linguistic skills. It might be because the infant is confused, as a sense of shock or agitation when an infant is shrieking, rather than a sign of pain after an accident.
If your child is entitled to compensation, you can help him/her get the necessary support
Getting compensation can help offset the costs of medical treatment or rehabilitation if your child suffers severe injuries as a result of the accident. You can then spend your time and energy on your child, instead of worrying about your finances.
13 Signs of Injuries That Babies Get in Car Accidents
Seeing as a newborn can’t tell you what’s wrong or hurts, here are some of the most common signs you may look for in newborns who were involved in a car accident.
Observing your child closely after a car accident is another way to determine if something is wrong with them. A parent knows his or her child best, and there are different ways to notice changes in his or her mood, schedule, or behavior.
Whenever your child’s behavior or mood differs from what is expected of him or her, please contact your pediatrician as soon as possible.
- Vomiting excessively
- Getting irritated
- There is a listlessness or limp in the infant
- Convulsions or seizures
- Alterations in eating habits, refusing to breastfeed or drink normally
- Sleep patterns that are irregular, or changes to the sleep schedule that they are used to
- It may be difficult for them to sleep at night
- Frequently crying and excessively crying
- It is impossible to console the infant as usual
- A soft spot on the head may bulge in infants younger than one year of age
- The infant appears to be in pain
- Experiencing fever
- Having difficulty breathing, such as breathing quickly or laboriously
Don’t know what to do with your baby’s car accident injuries? Contact Stridewell and book an appointment
The more a child is exposed to trauma when he or she is young, the more serious the posttraumatic symptoms will be. Seeking advice and help from a reliable injury clinic is crucial.
Contact Stridewell today.
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