All kids suffer bumps and bruises to the head from time to time, but it can be really scary when your child is injured from a fall or another accident. Last week, Kellan was digging through a toy chest at his cousins' house when the lid fell on his head. I left the room for no more than a few seconds when I heard a thump and ran back.

Kellan cried and developed a good-sized lump on the top of his head, but he recovered enough to play again after about half an hour. Maybe it's because of all the talk about head injuries since star NHL player Sidney Crosby got sidelined by a concussion, but I watched Kellan closely the rest of the day. I kept asking if he had a headache (he didn't) and he asked me to hold him more than usual (I did).

You don't ever want to take a head injury lightly, but you can watch for certain symptoms so you can put your mind at ease. If your child has a deep cut to his head, loses consciousness for a short time, starts vomiting or cannot be comforted, you want to seek medical attention right away. If your child seems to have recovered, watch for changes in behavior, complaints of head or neck pain, irritability or loss of coordination.  If your gut tells you something isn't right, call your doctor.  Also, have your child take it easy for the rest of the day. Reading books or watching a low-key video should help keep things mellow. 

This was an important lesson for me. I assumed the toy chest lid would stay open without actually checking to see if it locked in place. As babies learn to crawl and then walk, we do safety checks to make sure our little explorers won't pull furnishings down on top of them, but it wouldn't hurt to look around your house to uncover any hidden hazards. 

What hidden hazards were you surprised to find as your child became mobile?