Baby Vomiting After Fall: Why and What to Do About It

What if a baby is vomiting after a fall?

Here, a baby fell from the crib, had a small nose bleeding, and started to vomit after feeding.

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Mom’s Question:

Is it normal for a baby to vomit after a fall? My 10-month-old baby fell down from the cot and was bleeding a little bit from the nose. I took him to the doctor, and she said the bleeding was because of a cut in the nose. But my problem is that after that incident, after completing his food, he started vomiting. I am afraid, why is it so?

Thanks in advance,
Zaheer

Advice if Baby Vomits After a Fall

Since a baby vomiting after a fall can be a serious situation, we asked oen of the pediatricians in our medical reference team; Sarah Livelo, to answer your question. Here is her advice.

How common is it that children vomit after a fall?

If we’re talking about all different types of falls in children, vomiting is not the most common of symptoms. However, in infants with falls involving the head, about 13% may develop vomiting.

Some kids may vomit only once or vomit much later than expected. Others may have more than two vomiting episodes after a fall.

Why may children vomit after a fall? Is it always dangerous?

If your child just had a fall, one of the most important things to consider is whether they hit their head forcefully during the fall.

If your baby’s head got hit by any firm or hard surface, there’s always the possibility of head injury, also known as a concussion.

When a person sustains a head injury, this can cause an increase in the pressure inside the skull. This can manifest as confusion, vomiting and weakness in infants. They may also become irritable – likely due to a beginning headache.

Having a potential head injury can be serious. In this case, you should bring your child to a doctor for proper evaluation.

When is vomiting after a fall a serious sign of injury?

A child who has vomited only once may have mild to moderate head injury. But if your baby is persistently vomiting after a fall, it is often a sign of moderate to severe head injury.

Here are the most common signs of moderate to severe head injury in kids:

• Clear or bloody drainage from the nose or ears
• Seizures
• Seems weak in one side of the body
• Has difficulty walking normally
• Very sleepy or difficult to wake up
• Nausea (for older kids)
• More than one episode of vomiting
• Severe headache (for older kids) or always irritable
• Loss of consciousness
• Slurred speech (for older kids)

(You can find more warning signs to look for after a fall here.)

This video will explain the signs of concussion after a fall in more detail:

What should I do as a parent?

Initial steps include helping your child calm down and trying to soothe them (but not to the point that they fall asleep!). If you’ve noticed a bump on the head, apply a cold compress on that area. Double-check for any wounds on the head and scalp areas, and gently clean them.

Concussions are serious head injuries, and for your specific case, I advise returning to the nearest emergency department or available doctor, even if the vomiting has only happened once. Letting repeated vomiting go on unchecked for too long could be bad for your baby’s brain.

Please seek medical care now! It could be something else like a stomach bug not related to the fall, but it is better to be safe than sorry!

Hope this helps,

Paula

Read Next

• Baby Fell Off The Bed: 10 Injury Warning Signs, What To Do
• 12-Month Baby Fell Off Bed And Got Injured: Child Abuse Accusation!
• Nosebleed in Baby After a Fall: Warning Signs to Look For

Research References

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Paula Dennholt

Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.

Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.