How to Deal With Your Baby Falling Off the Bed

The initial stages of being a parent can be one of the most stressful times of your life, especially if it is your first child. However, fear not; most of your fears are irrational and stem from your parental sense of protectiveness. Babies have an irregular sleeping pattern, especially in the early months. They can fall asleep during the daytime, and most often than not, wake up crying when everybody is asleep. Usually, the only time when they are not the focus of their parents’ attention is when the parents are asleep or out of the room. In these few moments, it is entirely possible that the baby may fall off the bed

Video: How to Deal With Your Baby Falling Off the Bed

What Should You Do if Your Baby Falls Off the Bed

Babies are small, so it is easy to think that they are incapable of crawling over to the edge or even falling off the bed. However, the effects of flailing arms and kicking legs should not be underestimated. The baby falling off the bed is a common problem faced by new parents.

Your baby falling off the bed can make you feel as if you are a terrible parent. However, the baby falling from the bed is a widespread occurrence. Instead of fussing over the baby, you must remember to follow the steps to ensure that there are no lasting effects on your child’s health. Prevention may be the ideal way of dealing with infants falling off the bed, but accidents can happen to anyone. If this problem ever happens, there are a few steps that you can follow and a few checks you can carry out to ensure that your baby is fine, and you can finally put your mind at ease.

Initial Checking

If you do wake up at night hearing a thump and find out that your baby has fallen, it is important to observe your child for the next 24 hours to find out if there are any lasting effects.

Initially, you need to check whether your baby is conscious. The fall could make your baby lose consciousness initially, and the toddler may appear to be limp or sleeping. The consciousness is regained rather quickly, and they may resume crying. Even though it may seem normal, it is imperative that you treat this situation as a medical emergency. It is advised to not move your child immediately after the fall, since it may cause further injury to the child.

Pick up your baby and comfort him gently if he does not seem to be physically injured. Babies may be confused, alarmed and scared after a fall. While holding the baby, inspect him for any physical signs of harm, especially on the head area. Although the baby falling off the bed and hitting his head is a common accident, it needs to be treated with caution. If the child is under the age of one, the situation should be treated as a medical emergency and you must take him to a doctor right away.

Dealing With the Bump on Your Infant’s Head After Falling Off the Bed

If there is any impact on your infant’s head, it is possible that he may develop a bulge in the shape of an egg in that area. However, the egg-shaped bulge is not as bad as it seems- it will usually go away after a short period of time. The bulge means that there is swelling in the area, but only superficially.

To deal with the bulge, you have to apply a cold compress on it every hour, for about five minutes. This is easy to do, but the only difficulty is distracting the child from the chill of the ice pack. The bulge usually disappears within a few hours, and if it doesn’t, you should consult a doctor.

When You Should Call a Doctor

If the situation seems out of control or seems to worsen, you should call the doctor for an expert opinion. However, in most cases, this won’t be necessary.

• If your child seems to have any deformity after the fall, you should visit a doctor immediately.

• Broken bones are another case of emergency, and you need to visit a hospital without any delay to get the necessary treatment for your toddler.

• In case of any cuts or bruises, it may be advisable to wrap the wound with the help of an expert nurse or doctor.

• If the bleeding is internal- your child has bleeding in the nose, eyes or ears, then a visit to the doctor is a must. This should be treated as a critical condition, as it could point at internal clotting.

• Brain haemorrhages also have the same symptoms as internal bleeding. Remember this when you take your child to the hospital.

• A concussion is another danger, and its signs include dizziness, weakness, and sluggishness, combined with vomiting. This indicates that the hit was harder than it seemed.

• Another thing to notice is if the baby seems to be experiencing a blackout without any quick movements in the eyes.

• The pupils may seem to vary in size after the fall, with one pupil more significant than the other.

• Finally, if the baby appears to be crying for longer than usual, it is indicative of some internal problem. Take your child to the doctor immediately.

How to Prevent the Baby From Falling Off the Bed or Getting Injured

There are many ways to prevent your baby from falling off the bed and hitting their head, or at least reducing the effect of the fall.

• First and foremost, remove the bed frame and place the mattress on the floor, to minimize the distance to the floor.

• Push the mattress against a wall, and ensure that table and chairs are far away, so that the child does not bang against them in case of a fall.

• Teach your child to get off from the bed in a safe manner, by sliding off on their belly, when they are old enough.

• Place a soft carpet on the floor to minimise the risk of an injury, in case the baby happens to fall.

• Always place two pillars on either side of the baby, to prevent him rolling off the bed while sleeping.

Babies falling off the bed is a phenomenon that is bound to happen during the initial stages, no matter how attentive you are. While there are few things that could go wrong in the long term, care must be taken to ensure that there are no lasting effects of the fall on the child.

Also Read: Baby Proofing Checklist