Facial Trauma in Children
I’m Ed Smith, an auto accident attorney in Sacramento. As children are growing up, it is not unusual to have some bumps and bruises along the way. Children will fall down, scrape their knees or elbows, and could even have a bone fracture along the path to adulthood; however, some injuries are more concerning and serious than others. Facial trauma in children is one example and there are several tips that children and their parents should keep in mind.
Types of Facial Trauma
When someone mentions facial trauma, they could be talking about a handful of different things. Some of the traumatic injuries to the face include:
Impact Injuries: Impact injuries are also called blunt trauma. Examples of possible impact injuries are falls, car wrecks, and punches to the face. An impact injury can lead to bumps, scrapes, bruises, swelling, and even a black eye. Serious impact injuries could even lead to facial fractures.
Penetrating Injuries: As opposed to impact injuries, penetrating injuries break the surface of the skin. A penetrating injury could damage the nerves and blood vessels that hide under the surface of the skin. Damaged nerves could make it difficult for people to move parts of their face. It could also make parts of the face go numb. Damage to blood vessels could lead to extensive bleeding. This might require a blood transfusion.
These are only a couple of the types of facial trauma that someone could sustain. Regardless of the type of injury, facial trauma can be serious. Therefore, it is important to consider how these injuries arise.
Mechanisms of Injury: Facial Damage
Recently, a medical review article looked at the different ways that children received facial trauma. The medical practice analyzed the records involving children and facial injuries. Here is what they found:
Falls: Falls were one of the most common ways that children damaged their face. When thinking about toddlers, they often fall while they are learning to walk. They could land on their face and scrape their cheeks, nose, or eyes.
Collisions: Children also can collide with coffee tables and end tables, which happen to sit near the level of their face at a young age. These are hard objects that could lead to significant injuries. For this reason, it is important for parents to try and pad the corners of their tables. This can cushion the blow should their child run into it.
Bicycles: Bicycle accidents were another common culprit. While learning how to ride a bike is a rite of passage, this isn’t without risk. Children often lose their balance or collide with objects in the road, leading to facial injuries. To prevent this, parents should make sure that children wear a helmet every time they ride a bike.
Auto Accidents: Car accidents are another common way children suffer facial injuries. Kids often are too short to be restrained adequately by an adult belt. With this in mind, they are prone to flying out of their seat and striking the dashboard. Children should be in a car seat or booster seat until old enough to ride in an adult seat. Check with the guidelines for your state. In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles has this information on their website. Children should also be seated in the back seat whenever possible.
Treatment Choices of Facial Trauma in Children
Depending on the injury, there are different treatment options to consider. Simple scrapes and bruises can be handled by bandages and ice packs. More serious injuries could require medical attention or even surgery. It is normal for parents to have questions about facial injuries in their children. Especially when these injuries resulted from the negligence of another person.
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I’m Ed Smith, an auto accident attorney in Sacramento. If your child has been injured in an accident due to the negligence of someone else, please call me at (916) 921-6400 to receive free, friendly legal advice. I can also be reached by calling (800) 404-5400.
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Image Source: The image at the top was found first on Unsplash and has been shown here with permission
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