What to Do If Baby Falls Off the Bed?
When a baby falls from the crib or bassinet onto hard surface, it is called ‘falling off’. There are various reasons why a child may fall from their bed. One reason is due to negligence of parents. Another reason could be because they have not been properly trained in how to put them down safely. You will find out here in this post what happens when baby falls off the bed.
If baby falls off the bed, it is very important to immediately call the emergency services. You can check whether your local hospital has an ambulance service and how long it takes to get there. Call 999 if you want help immediately. If you don’t feel comfortable calling 999, then call 112 instead which is a national emergency number where all hospitals are connected to each other.
It is better than calling 999 since it provides quicker response time and it does not cost anything at all.
It is advisable to take the baby to the nearest hospital. They can provide first aid treatment and even transport the baby to another place.
In case of death, you need to make sure that you contact the police immediately. If you have any suspicion about what happened, then call 112 immediately. Police will investigate the matter and give their report in a timely manner.
The following are the main causes of accidents when babies fall off the bed.
Negligence of parent/caretaker: This is one of the main causes of this type of accident. Most parents leave their children unattended or with unsupervised caretakers when they are asleep. They are therefore likely to roll off the bed and injure themselves.
Doorway accidents: This happens when a baby rolls off from a bed into a doorway. Further research shows that baby beds should not be placed anywhere near a door.
Excessive bedding: If a parent places too many pillows, quilts, and other beddings for the baby to roll over on, they are likely to fall off the bed upon rolling.
If a baby is left unattended or unsupervised for a long period of time, they may roll off the bed and get an injury. This usually happens when a parent forgets to check on the baby.
Although rare, there are some cases in which parents have intentionally thrown their children from a window or balcony. This type of behavior is referred to as ‘baby tossing’. This is mainly due to parental stress or intention of inflicting harm on their children.
First aid for babies who have fallen off the bed
We cannot predict what is going to happen when a baby falls off the bed. The type of surface that they land on can determine the kind of injury they get. Other factors include the height that they fall from and their weight. Here are some of the most common types of injuries that can occur:
Bruises: The most common type of injury that results from falling off a bed is bruising. It is usually the result of a soft surface such as a mattress.
Concussion: This is one of the most serious types of injuries that a baby can get by falling off a bed. This occurs when a person hits their head against an object and causes damage to the brain.
Fractures: Other than bone fractures, there is also the risk of spinal cord and other serious body part fractures. This is mostly the case when a baby falls from a great height.
In some cases, the baby might not suffer any external injuries, but might have internal bleeding or bruising of the brain. This is hard to detect immediately and it might even result in death when serious.
Here are some first aid tips that you should follow when a baby has fallen off a bed and gotten injured.
Sources & references used in this article:
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Diagnostic and surgical implications of child abuse by JL Gill-Barajas – US Patent 6,754,921, 2004 – Google Patents
Philosophy and the young child by DJ Ledbetter, EI Hatch, KW Feldman… – Archives of …, 1988 – jamanetwork.com
Forensic aspects of pediatric fractures: differentiating accidental trauma from child abuse by GB Matthews – 1980 – books.google.com
Becoming Japanese: The world of the pre-school child by RAC Bilo, SGF Robben, RR Van Rijn – 2010 – books.google.com
Structure and variation in child language by J Hendry – 1986 – books.google.com
The overburdened child: Some long-term consequences of divorce by L Bloom, P Lightbown, L Hood, M Bowerman… – … for Research in Child …, 1975 – JSTOR
System and method for enhancing the safety of a sleeping arrangement for a child on a bed by JS Wallerstein – Social Work, 1985 – academic.oup.com
