Urgent warning to any parents taking their kids to playgrounds this summer
PARENTS have been urged to heed caution with their little ones when it comes to heights.
Often lots of playing equipment on parks or even in play centres can be much taller than your child.
This also goes for changing tables and dining chairs.
Experts have said that this difference in height is something all parents need to be mindful of this summer.
Former paramedic and CEO of Nikki Jurcutz said it's important to look out for falls and head bumps.
She explained: "If your child has fallen from a height that is double their height, they need immediate medical attention.
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"Even if they look completely fine. Even if they looked like they didn't land that hard. Even if it was an accident."
Nikki added that signs and symptoms such as bumps or dizziness don't usually show up straight away if your little one has taken a tumble.
"Falling from a height that is double a child's height puts them at risk of a moderate to severe head injury," she added.
If your little one has suffered a moderate to severe head injury then you need to call an ambulance straight away.
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Her warning comes after one mum wrote into the experts after her little girl injured herself.
The six-month-old hadn't been playing, but had been placed on a changing table.
The mum said she had been changing her little girl and the wipes had been positioned behind her.
"She hadn't started rolling without assistance or much speed yet but as I turned around to grab a wipe she rolled off the table onto the marble floor landing from her side.
"I picked her up and my mother in law drove us straight to hospital five minutes away," she added.
When the little girl fell, the mum said she remembered the advice from the team at Tiny Hearts.
What to do if your child is injured?
The NHS says it can be difficult to know when to call an ambulance and when to take your child to the accident and emergency department (A&E).
states that if you're worried about your child and are not sure if they need medical help, call NHS 111.
If you're unsure whether you should move your child, make sure they're warm and call an ambulance.
You need to take them to A&E if:
- they have a leg or arm injury and cannot use the limn
- have swallowed poison or tablets
You need to call an ambulance if:
- they stop breathing
- are struggling for breath
- unconscious
- unaware of what's going on
- has a cut that won't stop bleeding
- won't wake up
- has a fit for the first time - even if they recover
She added: "In the car she was closing her eyes and falling asleep, I kept her awake until we reached the ED (emergency department).
"They admitted us for two hours of monitoring, however the junior doctor hadn't felt the impact site and I was noticing a cephalohematoma emerging."
A cephalohematoma is when an accumulation of blood forms under the scalp and is usually the result of a minor trauma.
The worried mum then advised a nurse who agreed to scan her daughter's head.
It was then that medics found a 5cm fracture but thankfully no bleeding or obvious brain damage.
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The mum added: "I had watched a lecture the day before coincidentally on paediatric trauma that advised that a cephalohematoma is a fracture until proven otherwise.
"So glad I was empowered to advocate for my child", she said.