How To React and Examine A Child Who Fell Down A Flight of Stairs
In 2002 the Archives of Disease in Childhood (ADC) released a study titled “Do Falls Down Stairs Cause Serious Injury In Preschool Children?” Data was collected over the course of 18 months from 437 children with ages ranging from under nine months to around four years old. The study concluded the following:
Only 6 children (1%) sustained proximal limb fractures. There were no rib fracture. There were no deaths or severe injuries such as cerebral hemorrhages/tears, visceral trauma or spinal fractures.
Conclusions: Severe injuries and death do not occur as a result of falls down stairs. The pattern of injury is peripheral with sparing of the trunk. Multiple injuries are rare.
(Please note that this post (and the above study as well), is not dealing with a fall down the stairs involving a baby in a walker. Falls of this nature are much more severe for several reasons which are beyond the scope of this post.)
What To Do
The one thing you shouldn’t do when your child falls down the stairs is scream, “OH MY G-D, OH MY G—D!!!, JENNIFER FELL DOWN THE STAIRS!!! OH MY G—D!!! JENNIFERRRRR!!! Even if your daughter’s name is not Jennifer.
Freaking out like that WILL NOT help the situation.
Scene Survey
As you are running to your child take note of the following:
- Is your child crying?
- Is your child moving?
- Is your child bleeding?
If the answers are yes, yes, and no, then that’s great.
Is your child crying?
Your child should cry after falling down a flight of stairs. Crying means that they are conscious and alert. Hopefully, there’s no serious head injury other than a bump on the head.
Is your child moving?
If your child is moving or can move their arms and legs then we can almost rule out any spinal injury.
Is your child bleeding?
It’s obviously a good thing if there is no external bleeding. If you see blood then chances are likely that they are bleeding from either their nose or mouth. The bleeding would probably be minor.
Examining Your Child
Once you reach your child its important to try to remain calm. Your child may be screaming but its important to examine them properly.
Here’s what you should look for:
- Injury to the head, neck, arms, legs
- If they can move
- If they can feel you touching their hands and legs
It’s good to start by asking your child where it hurts. If they tell you that their head hurts then gently feel their head for any obvious injury and bleeding. A bump is common and is generally no need for concern. If they aren’t complaining of any pain in the arms and legs then chances are they have no injury there. If they do complain of pain to either their arms or legs you can easily examine them for possible fractures by following the directions in this past post.
If you are neurotic and still concerned that your child suffered a more serious injury then you could examine their neck as well. Simply feel along the back of their neck for any obvious deformity. If you are not sure what to feel for then feel the back of your own neck to get an idea of what feels normal. After you’ve examined their neck you could ask them to move their arms and legs for you. You could then touch their feet and ask them if they can feel your touch.
Once you’ve determined that except for a few bumps and bruises your child is fine you could then decide if you want to take them to the doctor for further examination.
Like I mentioned before, chances are slim that your child suffered a serious injury from falling down the stairs. The worst thing you could do in this situation is overreact.
This post was submitted to the March 3 issue of the Carnival of Family Life hosted over at Discussing Autism.
Popularity: 65% [?]
February 4th, 2008 at 3:48 am
I’m really glad I read this! My daughter feel down the stairs she seems just fine, but I just feel so guilty and that I let her down. I stopped freaking out once i read this. Thank you
February 4th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Hi Christy, I hope your daughter is fine and I am happy my post helped.
Thanks for the feedback and gratitude.
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Thanks for participating in this week’s Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Discussing Autism. The Carnival will be live tomorrow, so stop by and enjoy some of the other many articles contributed this week!
Interesting in hosting? Check out the schedule at Colloquium and let me know which week interests you!
JHS
Colloquium
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 am
[...] Ellen presents How To React and Examine A Child Who Fell Down A Flight of Stairs posted at [...]
June 7th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Thank you for the info
Our daughter just fell down stairs, ironically
while we were fixing a gate to the wall!!!
It was the most horrendous moment…but I now feel better.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:27 am
My daughter just fell down a flight of stairs as well and I am overwhelmed with the guilt and shame. I was right beside her and couldn’t do anything !! Been getting nightmares from this. Thanks for your article, it made me feel better.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
same thing happened. My 2 year old toppled on hard stairs (2-3 steps) and had a bump on her nose. i was right next to her when she lost her balance. i just felt horrible and shameful. I still feel guilty.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am
thankyou for putting my mind at rest have been convinced that the fall down the stairs must have done some damage to our daughter but this has put it into perspective thanx
September 4th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Thank you! My daughter fell down the stairs today and I feel so guilty but it makes me feel better to know that other parents experience this and that my instincts that my daughter was startled but not injured seem to line up with what you’re saying.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Lisa, Taryn,
Its good to hear that your kids are ok. I am glad that my post helped. thanks for the feedback.
September 18th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
my youngest daughter fell down the stairs a couple of days ago only 2 stairs she is 11 she should have knowing better but she was earing socks on a carpet and slid and bumped her head of the edge of the kitchen door her head was bleeding for 2 mins and she took a black-out also she has burst a blood vesel on her nose wich is bleeding and now she had to get a jag in her nose and her head has kinda heelled still a big scar but.But reading this advice made me think im stupid cause i had to run outside with my daughter panicking making her sit at a step with water and me really panicking i should of took i big breath and took this advice but u cant blame me she nrly died the doc said she was luck to live cause she also fractered her neck and now its helled but still in hospital 4 check up’s this will really help all my children have bumepd there head as my son fell in a fire place luck he did not burn his skin is perfect but he luck my daughter when she was little fell into a brick wall after riding a bike and not knowing how to stop and my other daughter in a weel chair fell onto the ground im luck there ALL alive i have now got 4 perfect daughter and 1 perfect boy !!!plz replay
February 21st, 2009 at 8:53 pm
My 13 month old daughter just fell down an entire flight of stairs 2 days ago and I’m still experiencing a lot of anxiety about it! My daughter is doing fine! She is still fearless and sustained no injuries. I took her to the chiropractor right away and had her examined/adjusted. Her back, neck, right shoulder, elbow and hip were out of line but not dislocated. Thank God! I still feel horrible but this article puts me a little more at ease.
February 28th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Thank you so much for this. I feel like much less of a failure after reading your article. I have experienced a child falling down the stairs as well and the guilt and shame is overwhelming – not to mention the horrible flashbacks. Especially when I read the “what you should do” (or not to do) section I burst out laughing as I found myself inserted my own voice into the “OH MY G-D…” My own reaction wasn’t too far off. Thanks for making me feel even an inch better.
March 10th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
My daughter just fell down the stairs an hour ago and my husband emailed me this article from work. It too really put my mind as ease, i am still slightly concerned about her right shoulder but will check it again when she wakes up from her nap. She calmed down quickly after the fall and we just had a little cuddle time. Thanks for the article it really puts things in perspective.
March 17th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
My nephew just fell off the stairs like 30 mins ago. i told his sister, whom is 7, to watch him while i ran down stairs to get her shoes. I was all the way down stairs and she yells aunt evie and then i see him falling. I was just like omg!!! It happend so fast that im shocked now how couldnt i of caught him. I feel like a terrible aunt!!! He just has a small bruise on his head. but i feel so horrible.
March 24th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Thank you so much for this. My son fell down the stairs and i was so guilt ridden. It is such an awful feeling when you can’t stop it. I feel much better now. He is talking and walking fine. Thank you again.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Thanks for your article. I just recently heard about Liam Nissan’s wife on the news and am still pretty freaked out that my 15 month son just fell down an entire flight of (carpeted) stairs (2.5 hours ago.) I was around the corner in his nursery so sure his gate was shut securely. The only explanation is that it must not have been and I feel so guilty. I just heard the thumping and then his cry when he hit bottom. He was laying on his back. He only cried for a minute or less, was clingy for 5-10 minutes and then himself again. I am not a dramatic person, so I didn’t freak out verbally, but I held him so tight for as long as he’d take it – like when I first brought him home from the hospital and would never let go. I feel like I will never stop imagining his fall. He is taking a nap now and I have the monitor up so loud that I can hear every breath. My husband came home early from work and I spoke with his doctor’s nurse and the hospital’s nurse hotline. Both assured me he is probably fine based on the facts and told me what signs to watch out for. I often let him have the run of the upstairs hall and nurseries while I pick up his room etc. and have been so paranoid about that gate being shut. I feel like we’ll be spending a lot of time downstairs now…
April 9th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
reading this has put my mind at ease and made me giggle at start with not how to react!need to find humor in everything.. my 3 yr old son just fell head first down the stairs.. all of them..i heard a bang a shout and a lil body come sliding past living room door.. my reaction was a scream before getting to him and alot of panic about injuries.. even as he 2 mins later was running through the house being his usual destructive self.. this though has put my mind at rest.. none of you and no one should feel bad about yourself,i go out of my way to see to it my children are safe,can’t protect them from everything and can’t keep them from being children though.. accidents are part of chidhood and will teach the child things parents words and precautions can not..
April 24th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Oh my god, my 5 year old just fell down the stairs and i’m so freaked out! I’m so worried, because i did not see how he fell. But i do fell a little better after read everyone’s comments.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:11 am
I’m so glad I read this article. My 20 month old fell down 14 hardwood steps, landing on tile. YIKES. She cried for about 5 min. I was calm then she was back to her playful normal self. The nurse I called said I should check on her for 6 hrs, once per hour while she is sleeping. She has a bump on her eyebrow and some bruises on her face. But she’s fine….
April 29th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Thank you. I had this happen to my 11 month old daughter today. Of course, I cannot sleep- I just keep going over and over the whole thing in my mind. She tumbled down 8 carpeted stairs. Every time I close my eyes I envision what happened- I turned around and she was already tumbling down- and I couldn’t get to her- it was nightmarish. I had to call my husband home from work because I was dry heaving and hyper ventillating I was so upset. At least I know that I’m not the first and am soooo grateful for everyone’s comments.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:25 am
Thanks for all the comments – our 18 month old son fell down 8 hardwood steps onto a tile floor and all I can think of is Natasha Richardson! He cried for about 5 minutes and then returned to normal. Of course this happened within 30 minutes of bedtime. We tried to keep him up but he is tired because it is his normal bedtime! I will check him every 30 minutes or so and I am sure I will wake him up once or twice…..I do feel better after reading all of this!!
May 29th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Thank you for posting your comments. My 16 months fell down the stairs as well , I feel so guilt but she was really fast. She is fine , running , talking… But not sure if I can sleep tonight I will proberly check her every 5 minutes. But your comments really helped better than NHS 24 nobody there to answer my call.
May 30th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I am really happy to hear that this post helped. thank you for the positive feedback.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:45 am
My 17 month old fell down a full flight of stairs (carpeted – 12 steps) yesterday. Safety gate was closed and I was RIGHT THERE! We were going towards her bedroom and she turned and ran towards the gate. Pushed the middle of the gate and it just opened. I never like her to even touch the gate, but I couldn’t grab her in time. She rolled down the entire stairs backwards and landed on her back and head hit floor. I was just inches from getting her the entire time…but couldn’t get her. I just wanted to get her before she hit the bottom. She is FINE. AMAZINGLY!!
She only had a diaper on as we were in the process of changing her. She got a couple of scrapes…but that is all. I really thought the worst as she fell. I am still crying a day and a half later. I was up all night last night checking on her. I did call 911 right away and ambulance was there within minutes. We took her to the doctor today as well. She is absolutely fine. I am just traumatized. This article/post really really helps. It will be a while before I can put the image out of my mind though….if ever.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:15 am
My 13 month old daughter fell down the stairs earlier today. I thought the gate was closed but as i was changing my clothes i heard some thumps down the stairs. my daughter often throws things through the gate slots, but this time when i checked to see what happened i saw my daughter at the bottom of the stairs. i freaked out and flew down the stairs to get to her. i still feel sick to my stomach thinking how I let that happen, but i am so thankful that God made these precious little ones so tuff. what an awful day. thanks for writing this post. i do feel much better knowing that i am not the only one that has a story like this!
July 1st, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Thanks. My 5 yr. old daughter is on vacation with her Dad at Grandma’s and he called to tell me that she fell down a flight if stairs. No one witnessed the fall so we are not sure if she hit her head but she did bust her lip. I told him to keep a close eye on her and not let her fall asleep, and if he sees her acting dazed or confused to rush her to the hospital. This article did make me feel a little more at ease.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:02 am
My 9 moth old baby girl just fell down 5 hardwood steps and landed on her face atop a pile of shoes and paint cans. She has a lumpsasaurus starting on her hairline, but otherwise seems ok. Like the other moms though, I’ll be on alert and freaking out for several days. Great article, thanks!
July 5th, 2009 at 3:49 am
My 15 month old fell down the stairs today and I was very stressed out and I cried so much! I did the worst thing as mentioned above… However, I did inspect her, she had some minor cuts on her lip where I believe she bit her lip, but all her limbs were fine, she was crying and alert and after a couple minutes of both of us crying, she laughed at ME for crying! She seems ok, but I can’t help feeling like I’m neglecting her as a parent! I hope all is well with her though! This article at least gives me a teeny bit of peace, thank you!
July 17th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Thanks for sharing the article and all the comments that followed. My 4.5 yr old was pushed from the top of a ladder on a high bunk bed and fell on her face on a hardwood floor. Her cheek is swelling and there was a bit of bleeding (I think from inside of cheek). She only stopped sobbing when she fell asleep, after over an hour, and this was the first chance we had to put Arnica on the swelling cheek (no ice – she wouldn’t let us!). Will keep monitoring her pupils, and level of alertness, over next few days, rather than taking her for check-up straight away, as from what I’ve read here she’ll be fine, except that she’ll look like Mike Tyson after a bad bout
August 19th, 2009 at 3:31 am
I, like many other parents here am SO glad I came across this article! Our 9 month old son fell down our long stairway today, I only wish I would have read this article b/c I was yelling “Oh My God!!” and panicing just like the above example. It DIDN’T help matters! Next time I will try my best to remain calm in any scary situation! The baby seems perfectly fine now, he has a couple red bumps on his head and beside his eye that seem sensitive to touch. We knew better, we talked about getting a baby gate this week (he just started crawling a couple days ago) we just put it off, sadly – then this happened. So a wake-up call to us and any other parent reading this. Do what you know to do NOW, don’t put it off! Lastly, this article has helped me b/c all day long I have replayed that horrible scene of the baby falling down the stairs and crying. SO thankful to God he is ok and yes, we did go out and purchase a baby gate tonight! ..never again will I put something so importnat off.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
I like the rest have to thank you for this post. My fearless and incredibly cunning 15 month old got by the gate this morning. Thankfully, I didn’t panic and did everything advised here on my own (she tends to get into trouble a lot so I’ve learned to panic latter), but I’m still feeling horrible for letting it happen. This came up first when I searched and it was exactly what I needed.
September 19th, 2009 at 4:29 am
My 2 year old fell down the basement stairs yesterday. He was crying but I remained calm outwardly and didn’t scream. I picked him up right away and held him. He almost immediately stopped crying and started cooing at things in the basement and pointing at them. Thank goodness! It only makes me think of people who beat their kids and claim they have fallen down stairs. My son didn’t have so much as a bruise on his body, except for a small scratch under his eye.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I am so happy I just read this. Still in tears from yesterday my 17 month old fell down our outside steps and has cuts from hitting the sidewalk, and now she is at daycare. I feel a little better reading this.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Im am a little bit more relieved that i have found this website and realising that i am not the only one it has happened to.
Last night My 2 yr old son fall down an entire flight of stairs at my sisters house.
She lives in one of those house where she lives above her garage.We were just getting ready to leave when i couldnt grab him in time.
It was awful i felt so helpless i couldnt help or stop him.
He just walked straight off them,he actually didnt hit the stairs till halfway as he just stepped of them he missed hitting the first half,he then slid along his side,hit hes forehead on the side of the wall,rolled and landed on his back,hitting the back of his head on the tiles at the bottom.
He seems fine he has a graze on his forehead and he had bitten the side of his tongue on the way down.
But considering he fell from the top he came away really lucky,i couldnt stop shaking it was awful.
I still feel bad today the fact that i should have watched him more clearly and i didnt grab him.
Thankyou for this website.
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:09 am
Feeling a tad bit better about this. My 2yr old son just fell down the stairs. He cut the back of his head and it is bleeding. He seems to be fine other than the cut. I am watching and hoping the bleeding stops. I am just devasted. My baby! It is just horrible. I did react way too bad. He has been fine on stairs for a while now and has never had a problem. He is 21/2. All of a sudden, this has happen 2 times in one week!!!!! I guess it is time to put the gates back on the stairs! Just feel horrible and sad!!!!!!!!!!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
My 8 month old daughter fell down our entire set of stairs today. I’m such a paranoid first time mom and was convinced that every bone in her body was broken! She cried for about 10 minutes will my husband called the nurse in our family. Needless to say, she recovered quickly and began crawling while I’m ridden with guilt. I’m so happy to have found this article to give me piece of mind…Thank you!
December 3rd, 2009 at 4:58 am
Thank God for this article. My daughter fell down 25 steps today and on top of that I had to leave her to go to work. This really calmed me down. I think I’m more tramatized then she is. She asked for a cookie after she fell and I was convinced she was severly hurt but she’s fine.
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:50 pm
my daughter fell down to the stairs. She climbed up the couch and fell down to the stairs which is side by side with the couch that is about 6’7″ height. After she fell down she cried but she doesn’t seem to have any injuries. no bleeding nose, nothing. Although after that she started to have running nose. Does this have to be related to the fall. I can’t take to the doctor because she doesn’t have insurance. What should I do?
December 3rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
my daughter fell down to the stairs. She climbed up the couch and fell down to the stairs which is side by side with the couch that is about 6’7″ height. After she fell down she cried but she doesn’t seem to have any injuries. no bleeding nose, nothing. Although after that she started to have runny nose. Does this have to be related to the fall. I can’t take to the doctor because she doesn’t have insurance. What should I do?
December 4th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Ruth, I wouldn’t worry about the runny nose. Their noses are so soft as children they are unlikely to do any damage to them. If they fall on their head, I think the main thing to watch is for signs of concussion – confusion, eyes pupils different sizes or not responding to light (they should be small in bright / daylight, and large inside house / at night, and both the same size at the same time). I hope she’s OK, and hope you can get insurance for her soon too – just to be sure, to be sure …..in future!
December 6th, 2009 at 4:51 am
I am thankful to have read this article. Our 8 month baby boy fell down are carpeted basement stairs (about 10 steps). It was so scary and yes I was yelling OH MY GOD like crazy. Thanks to god everything is ok. They did a ct scan at the hopsital and no injuries. His face is just bruised up from the fall. I just hope I can get over this fear in my heart. Thank you all for your posts..
December 17th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Thanks for the article. Our son just fell downstair a whole flight of stairs (14 carpeted) but downstairs we have a hard tile like marble. Me and my older son were up with him beside the gate when he missed the first step and start rolling in front of our eyes like a doll right down the stairs…it was shocking, i was frozen in my spot. He didn’t fall on his back but on his face and i think his arms protected banging too hard. It was horendous. We went to the night doctor and he said he was fine, definetly no concussion. But i am still in shock, nearly hysteric. I kept asking my husband did the doctor really say he is ok? i feel like i am not going to let him out of my hands
January 8th, 2010 at 3:23 am
This post really helped. my daughter just fell down and thnaks God for my Husband who did not over react, i was in the back of the kitchen asking him what happened, i did see blood from the mouth but minor, she stopped bleeding right away, but she cried for like 10 minutes, now she is playing with my husband like nothing ever happened…thanks for this post
January 8th, 2010 at 6:05 am
Patricia,
I am happy to hear that your daughter is ok and this post has helped. She’ll probably never remember it.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:02 am
honestly wat if ur child is not a preschooler or older than 1 Than wat do u do I CRIED AND GRABBED HIM I FELT BAD LIKE i WAS in THE wrong!!!for ever letting my son down!!!
January 28th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Its just happened to me and I literally screamed ‘oh my god’ ‘oh my god’. It was less than a few seconds. I feel terrible! After reading this I feel slightly better but I’ll never take my eyes of him again while upstairs. Its a horrible feelin. Thanks for your post.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:03 am
thanks i feel much better that was SCARY
February 28th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
my son just fell down the stairs hard wood I was in the kitchen i heard him scream and I went running for him. But he had ended up smacking the tile floor when I got to him. he hit his face on the floor he has a lump on his head . he cried for like 2min and cuddled with me then got down and started dancing like nothing happend. It scared me so bad all I can say is I hope now he understands why mommy says dont play on the stairs
March 10th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
My 24 month old fell down the staris last night and my husband screamed and blamed me for letting him fall. My son was fine afterwards but I felt terrible.
March 12th, 2010 at 9:37 pm
My 16 month old daughter fell down our stairs today (flight of 12) and crashed into the stair gate at the bottom. Luckily the stairgate moved as she landed on it which probably cushioned her fall a bit. I was really shaken up and felt awful having to ring my husband at work and tell him what had happened. My daughter seems fine, she has been playing today and is now in bed but I keep worrying that she is going to get delayed concussion or worse. Reading the other stories has made me feel a little better.
March 25th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
My mum fell down the stairs… she died
April 5th, 2010 at 7:03 am
My 10 months son fall down on stairs last march 31,2010, and he looks fine. One thing i just worried about coz he had bruised in his head and its soft. Im a first time mommy im very worried about the soft of his right side head.
April 11th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
today my 13 months old daughter fell the stairs and i did panic alot but my daughter suffered nothing and she is playing, shouting and eating very well. but now i assured more myself that she is fine and nothing serious happened to her!
April 23rd, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Thanks for the reassurance. I was freaking out.
Oh my gosh. I just read this after watching my 2-year-old nephew front flip down 9 or 10 carpeted stairs. It was absolutely horrifying. One because the last thing I said was, “Sandy, don’t run at the steps.” And two because I’ve been expecting it for forever the way he charges at them. I was still damning myself for not carrying him over to them.
But after reading that the exact same thing happens to every parent/auntie/uncle and that every little boy/girl is okay, made me feel way better.
He didn’t cry. Should I be worried? He just said, “I fell! I did a front flip!” and then on the way back up a couple of minutes ago he tried to flip back up the stairs. *shakes head* Scariest thing ever. But he was staggering a little. That might be because it was so close to nap though. And because he’s a toddler.
When should I be concerned?
April 29th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
My 15 mnth old boy fell down 11 steps about 1 hr ago. He cried for 15 min and had bump at the back of his head. He seems to be fine now but I feel so quilty. Didnt even saw him fall. This article made me feel a bit better. I realize I am not a bad mum. These things just happen:((
May 1st, 2010 at 10:38 pm
my 3yr old son just fell down the stairs and maybe because i work for the red cross i didn’t panic, guided him through standing up on his own and checked him all over for bruises or depressions and he looked fine, but i was still concerned that maybe i missed something, or should just take him to be looked at, but he probably is fine and reading those facts put my mind to rest, at least a little bit.
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:30 am
thanx, this article helped me also. My 23 month old daughter just fell down about 10 steps and i feel so bad because i was right in front of her and saw the whole thing but it happened so fast that i could catch her. Her mouth was bleeding alittle and she cried for awhile but seems fine now.
May 5th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
my child fell down the stairs and i was running after her to catch her, it all happend so fast oh my god i screamed. she got up and cry for a second and then laugh and tryed to go up the stairs again. my point is that i was scread out of my mine but she was fine and i felt real bad. but thank the lord nothing is wrong not even a scratch.
May 14th, 2010 at 1:28 am
Thank you so much for this information! My 1 year old fell down the stairs today.. this comforted me a lot when I read it!
May 17th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Thank you for this article. My 18 month old fell down the stairs today when he was holding my hand. He just bent over and tumble over. My heart stopped and I am almost had a heartattack. I did not scream because I think I was so scarred and in disbelief. I took him, give him his pacifier, got a boo boo bear, and cuddled him up in a blanket with him and watched seasame street. He cried for about 90 seconds but stopped when I calmed him down. He has a red stop on the right side of his head but that seems to be in it.
May 21st, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Thankyou, for this ,I have such a bad day. full of nightmares thinkin of what could of been, my little 10mth old baby fell 15 steps down a steep stairs and i think what saved her was a wall, after the first two steps, it took the fall. it was my fault I left the stair gate open the nite before and forgot the next morn.i’ve spent the day kissin my little angle, prayin that she is ok and the truth is she is prob 1000% i’m now the one thats messed up. but thats ok after readin all your stories i now now that i’m not alone so thank you a lot or as we say in Ireland ,,, Thanks A Million. xx
May 21st, 2010 at 6:42 pm
all of your post have made me feel alot better… My baby boy (8 months old) fell down two stairs in his walker this morning. he only cried for a minute but I am so nervous and still shaky. I’m sure he’s fine though just like all of your children. I hope my post helps someone else like the previous ones have helped me.
May 25th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I too am much like these mothers but much worse on my self because I am a Nurse as well. My 7 month old fell down 8 stairs onto carpet I freaked out but he was fine then the next day he fell off of our bed even though I had surrounded him with pillows and I had walked around the corner and was on my way back that fast! Once again he was fine and you would think that I would know better because he is my second child but still no and know my husband doesn’t seem to trust me around him. It is in his nature. His mother was way over cautious. When he would trip she would take him to the Doctor. So I guess my question is how do you a sure him that our little boy is fine? He is smiling all the time just like before and is constantly on the go so obviously he is fine. I on the other hand am questioning my self. Am I a bad mother but this post has has helped! Thanks again and if anyone has any idea how to get my husband to trust me again please let me know!
May 31st, 2010 at 2:35 pm
my brother fell down fron the stairs… and it bothers me alot.. im just going to ask what will i do because he start vomiting.. thank you
May 31st, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Call the doctor/911 if he’s vomiting. I’m not an expert, but that’s abnormal. Sometimes my nephew vomits when he gets really upset, but…better safe than sorry.
June 16th, 2010 at 9:32 am
my 7month old baby fall from two feet hight bed,twice on consecutive day,he cried for two minutes and after taken breast feeding then sleeped for one and half hours.then he is ok and again taken breast feed..beni
June 27th, 2010 at 4:03 am
My eight month old fell down 10 carpeted steps today in her walker . She started screaming and i immediately rushed her to the bathroom where i proceeded to run water on her body and head while i examined her making sure when i touched parts of her body she didn’t flinch . Thank God she came out with only a carpet bruise on her forehead . I feel like a terrible mom bc i could have prevented it but thanks to your article and comments i feel a little better
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:43 pm
11 month old just fell down a flight of carpeted stairs. Thought the gate was latched. It was not. Scooped up crying kid and called on-call pediatrician. She was very re-assuring (it just so happened to be our son’s pediatrician). Kids are tough. He is fine. Wife and I however don’t feel fit to even have house plants at the moment. We will monitor for any swelling, uneven pupils. vomiting, etc. Otherwise, little man looks normal as he is eating his dinner. Thanks God. Put another latch on gate.
August 1st, 2010 at 2:47 am
My 11 month old baby fell over in her high chair and landed on her face. Her 6 yr old brother contribute to the fall by trying to rock her when their dad stepped out the room for a min. I ran to pick her up, her face was red and eye was closing. After 15 mins she was back to her self. I kept her up for hours . The next day she had a red dot on the white part of her eye and her cheek is bruised. Should I still go to the doc if she is acting like her normal self?
August 1st, 2010 at 4:58 am
my 15 month old baby boy fell down 7 flights of stairs. my husband was watching he at the time i was working he waitted for me to come from work to then tell me that our baby fell down the stairs i yell at my husband you got to be really crazy to let him sleep i told him i wreak up my baby and took him to the hospital to then wait 6 hours in there for the dr to take a look at him and said him is ok there is nothing wrong with him go home and sleep. i which i would had read all this that has happened to other parent i would not have gone to the hospital i will keep this in mind thanks to all of you parent next time i will not go crazy i will try to be normal. thanks once again
August 12th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Thank you for this article- my son 17 months old just feel down our stairs yesterday and I freaked out! I saw it happen, my husband wanted me to take him to the ER, but he seemed fine. This article makes me feel better, however I still have those images of him falling…but he is acting normal. Again, thanks for your article.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
my 2 year old son just fell down the stairs, i picked him up as he was trying to get up crying and his nose was bleeding, it was bleeding for about five mins and he has a white bump to the front of his head..but ten mins later he was running about just fine, i have put him to bed now, but will check on him and what made me look at this website was his pupils were large and i was just wondering what that meant..but i feel bit relaxed after reading this article and really it is down to commen sense..Adults do tend to have more seriouse injurys from falling down stairs than children..so thank you for putting all our minds at ease…great page…from a more relaxed mother..xxx
August 16th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
My daughter fell the stairs last night and it just scared me so badly. She cried for a minute and was fine afterwards. In fact, she was even smiling. I feel relieved that this is not as serious as it seems. I too feel a bit more relieved. It still may take me some time to emotionally recover because it just happened last night.
September 3rd, 2010 at 6:28 pm
I can’t believe how many children fall down the stairs!! Including my 18 month old who has just rolled down 15 steps. This article has made me smile and relax and for that I cannot thank you enough.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
OMG Thank you so much for this! My 8 month old just fell down 14 carpeted stairs and landed on hardwood. I was absolutely terrified. I’ll never forget the thump… Never so happy to hear her cry. I needed to read this. I no longer feel nausea. Gates are not to be trusted. They give a false sense of security. Thank God that these little angels are so tough!
September 8th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
My 10 month old daughter just fell off the stairs. She cried for 3 minutes but stopped crying while I washed her face. She seems fine now crawling happily. She has a bruise on her forehead.
October 19th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
I am just curious as to what the credentials are of the author who wrote this artilce? I do not see a name or any background information.
October 21st, 2010 at 12:57 am
^^ I’m curious too. Like most earlier commenters, I’m here because my 19 month old tumbled down a flight of carpeted stairs before bedtime tonight. He was upset, is ok, and I was the screaming mom while my husband calmly rushed to him; I then took charge as lead comforter. I feel better after reading this and it seems to make sense, but like Tom, would definitely like to see what the “studies” referred to are.
October 21st, 2010 at 8:51 pm
my shoulder blade hurts really bad and what do i do for that
October 27th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Given the serious nature of this situation, I agree that the credentials of the writer should be provided. While the article surely provides people comfort, we have no idea whether the writer is qualified to be providing such advice or whether it’s accurate.
October 31st, 2010 at 10:23 pm
My 11 month old daughter fell down 8 steps yesterday,we have been trying to get a gate for the bottom of the steps with no luck due to size and she started to crawl up them on her own only yesterday. We thought we had put enough of a barricade up to stop her attempting and were both upstairs when my husband yelled to me that she was nearly at the top! We both waited anxiously for her to reach the top as hubby was afraid to go towards her and scare her and she looked up excited and fell backwards and kept tumbling. I screamed and hubby tried to catch her but missed and ended up swan diving and catching one arm hurting himself in the process. She cried for about 5 mins but is fine, we checked her over and there wasn’t even a red mark and today no brusing. She seemed fine, played within 10 mins, ate normally, slept even better than normal and is fine this morning. Wish i had seen this yesterday though, I probably would have had a better nights sleep!
November 1st, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Steph:
Scary story. We had a tough stairway to gate at the bottom also, but ultimately found one. If it has a banister pole or the like, they make gates that can be anchored to that using straps with no need to drill into the banister. The other side where the latch is will require drilling into the wall. The bottom line is that they make a gate to fit every kind of opening – you just have to look and be willing to spend the money. You can also call a baby-proofing company if you don’t want to search for the exact gate. It’s worth the price. They only get more mobile and barricades don’t work.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:14 am
My 8 month old recently fell down 13 carpeted stairs onto tile. I did not witness the fall so I felt it necessary to call an ambulance. I’m a nurse and knew to hold her head and neck in place just in case there was any neck fracture. I was encouraged by the fact she was moving all 4 limbs and crying but you never know if there could be hidden bleeding going on in their head. The ER ran CT scans of her head and neck and everything was fine. Always use your best judgement!! I would never have forgiven myself if she got seriously ill subsequent to the fall b/c I didn’t seek treatment.
November 4th, 2010 at 4:36 am
Today my 2 yr old son fell down our flight of stairs. the gate was up and he pushed on it and fell with it. the gate has not been reliable for some days and should have gotten a new one. Thankfully our other gate was up from going upstairs ( keeping dog downstaris) It sits a few steps up. he landed next to it stopping him from hitting the tile floor. I was a few feet away turning off our tv when i heard the gate give out. I ran down after him calling his name and panaking. He was crying and moving. I grabbed him and held him on the stairs. made sure he could move his arms and legs. didn’t see blood and he was fine after a few minutes ready to play. kids are amazing! I feel so much better reading this and knowing I’m not alone and he will be ok.
November 6th, 2010 at 12:17 am
thanks so much for this, my son just fell down the stairs. He is 2 years old, i took the baby gate down to go downstairs and get the laundry. I brought his bed sheets back up and went down the hall to make his bed. within seconds I heard him fall and realized immediately I had forgotten to put the gate back up.
He was fine, he stopped crying within a minute or two. however, My heart is still in my throat 20 minutes later..!!!
November 9th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Crazy! My two year old daughter just fell down 16!!! hardwood stairs to land on a hard wood floor and not a scratch, bruise or bump! She goes up and down them on her own ALL the time, and today was the day…I saw it happen and it was in SLOW MOTION. Crying and scared but in 5 minutes it was business as usual. Wish I was quicker to stop the fall at the end…as it was the only place she “bumped” her head. No big bump or knot, but scared Daddy for sure!
November 10th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
thanks for sharing this! my 1 year old fell down the stairs today and I have been freaking out! this made me feel alot better….she playing, eating, and walking normally and all smiles as usual
so thanks!
November 21st, 2010 at 12:08 am
my 19month old fell today. Left her upsatirs with my sister whom we were visiting and she sneaked to the stairs which she has been trying to. I was feeling guilty that and out of every thing i read online this comforted me. Thank you
November 23rd, 2010 at 2:59 am
I was looking for some comfirmation concerning the severity of a childs fall down stairs. My mind logically tells me that it is likely not serious, but my heart is obsessing over it. My 15 month old has suffered, from being dropped on his head while I fell asleep, a small electric shock from a plug he pulled out, and today he fell down three wooden stairs. All on my watch. He has exhausted us and today I neglected to shut the basement door after trying to put him down for three hours. I really appreciate the post and will return to read more in the future.
thank you. p.s he has been a difficult baby who has exhausted his parents. poor boy has suffered from every minor problem and we are still trying to diagnosis the root of all his problems. I had not slept for weeks when I fell asleep in our glider with him. I still feel horrible.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:44 pm
my just turned four daughter feel down the stairs this past march. she had fallen off her bike a couple weeks before that and had her arm in a splint when she feel face first into the landing of the stairs. she jumped up and was fine. the next day she ended up with two black eyes and bruises on her neck and ears. she and my 10 year old son were taken away by the state we live in because they did not believe the bruises where from a fall down the stairs.
December 4th, 2010 at 4:54 am
I left the cellar door open when my daughter (18 months) was napping this morning and forgot about it when we got back from running errands later on. I got her up from her highchair after lunch and she usually runs around in the hall while I clean up. I heard some terrible thumps and then a cry and got there just to see her hit the bottom — a cement floor. We had a little mat, but not much of a cushion. I don’t think I screamed, I just ran and picked her up, immediately checked for broken bones, took her upstair and gave her her pacifier. I turned on a soothing cartoon and she probably stopped crying about five to ten minutes later. I checked her over and she seems fine. I did not take her to the doctor, but this article and these posts make me feel a little better. She was a bit lethargic, but she had a bad night of sleep last night and only a short nap and I think the crying and shock wore her out. I feel so awful for not only leaving the door open, but also letting her wander to where I couldn’t see her. I don’t know how I will sleep tonight.
December 16th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
My 2 year old son fell down on a hard concrete stairs, and suffered head injury with broken nose.. He cried and concious.. Ct scanned and xrayed him and all positive/good result.. Hes now under observation.. He talks and smile now.. Hoping he’d be ok..
January 11th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
my 15 month fell down 12 stairs onto a tiled floor last night. Yes my intial reaction was scream and shout out, though i did not see it i heard it and keeping envisioning it in my head. Without a second of a thought we called the ambulance and they took him into the A&E dept. They bathed and cleaned his carpet burn wounds to his face and checked him all over. The doctor was happy that there were no sustained injuries due to the fact that children relax when they fall and are more supple and flexible than adults. I question an article like this with no background knowlege of the author, however all that has been said was told to me by the A&E doctor. Cases of vomiting would be due to concussion and would suggest you checking that the child is alreat when woken and walking. Why risk anything though have them checked out by A&E or doctor.
January 12th, 2011 at 2:57 am
thank you. the hubs and i feel so much better now.
January 16th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
My 16 month old just fell down our whole fight of stairs tonight and landed on our hardwood floor. I was at the top and just couldn’t get to him in time. SO horrible to watch him tumbling and me feeling so completely helpless. Like many others he was fine and up and running and giggling moments later but it just keep playing over and over in my head. It’s been really helpful reading all the comments and finding others feeling as tramatised and guilty as me. Will be sleeping with the moniter on full volume 2nite and checking regularly – how stressful it is bringing up children!
January 17th, 2011 at 7:51 am
Ps. I screamed the whole time he was falling – u just think the worst
January 24th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Thank you, so much. My two year old fell down the stairs today, toppled head over heels. I was holding a baby and couldn’t get to him. I did scream the entire time but since I read this I feel a lot better. The information from the study is so reassuring. He wasn’t even crying afterward until he saw ME crying. Escaped with a few bruises and no other obvious harm.
January 28th, 2011 at 10:08 pm
omg! i just noticed my 18 month son ran faster before i could catch him and he fell down the stairs 3 steps. I grabbed him felt so guilty also he was up and running! again thanks this was so scary for me being a first time mom of a two year old this helped me allot.. Sorry! i did yelled OMG! with his name was in shock.. Thank you!
February 1st, 2011 at 4:10 am
My year old grandaughter fell down a whole flight of stairs to the cellar today. I thought the door was latched but somehow she got it open. I was so scared but just ran down and scooped her up and held her. After 10 minutes of crying and being scared she seems fine. Thank you so much for this site and the reassurance that this happens to many others. I am still feeling guilty and thankful that she is OK.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:39 am
Very useful, helpful and informative. Thanks a lot. My grand son fell last night.
February 10th, 2011 at 2:28 am
This is the appropriate weblog for anybody who needs to find out about this topic. You notice so much its virtually laborious to argue with you (not that I truly would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Great stuff, simply great!
February 20th, 2011 at 11:38 am
Anyone with common sense and a basic understanding of physics should realize that babies due to their size, shape etc are less likely to sustain an injury when falling down stairs then adults.
That said, it would be absolutely foolhardy and irresponsible for people to take such a thing occurring lightly. Just because the child looks okay, does not mean they haven’t sustained a serious injury (concussion etc). If you didn’t witness the fall and cannot be sure whether the infant’s head took a good knock then I would be VERY diligent about observing the child over the next few days.
February 20th, 2011 at 11:30 pm
I am so so so relived to read this post … I was walking up the stairs with my 17 month old when we finally reached the top i held his hand and our cat came flying out the bedroom and wiped him clean out of my hand they both went tumbling down together. Luckily no broken bones no bleeding screamed instantly and stood up himself after … my only concern is now since the fall 3 days ago hes not eaten anything (drinking fine though) been sick once and constantly crying … could this be from the fall or could this just be a bug that happens to of been caught right after the fall. He has been going to bed at 4pm each day and sleeping til 10am next morning, surely this is too much … im getting really worried …
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:25 am
thank you for this info it helped a lot that means my child is fine yet i feel so ashamed
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:38 am
I feel better when I read this. However, I will keep my eye on her to make sure she is okay for a couple of days.
March 7th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
my granddaughter, who was strapped into her highchair, was visiting and somehow got out of the belt and fell onto the floor. Very scary. She was crying when we picked her up so we lay her on the bed and felt her head and neck area and then undressed her and looked for any bruises, bumps or bulges. She had a slight bump on her head, but no concavity and everything was working fine. Just to be on the safe side we observed her for sudden sleepiness/tiredness for a few hours and through the night we checked on her. But children are resilient, Thank God, and she was fine. Good advice here-but there can be the additional things to look for as I listed.
March 9th, 2011 at 5:25 pm
Thank you so much for your posting. We are visiting family away from home. My children have been fascinated with there stairs. We’ll long be hold the 2 year old fell this morning down the whole flight. My reaction screamig! She has three big eggs on her forhead.
March 14th, 2011 at 6:38 am
Hey,i fell down the stairs yesterday and i think i’ve sprained my arm im 10 BTW and i dont know what to do my arm hurts alot
March 14th, 2011 at 6:39 am
thanks on this articale it really helped!
March 21st, 2011 at 7:13 am
After baby fall next day I found outer portion of left side of head in small area skin become smooth & small amount of blood clot.I showd to Doctor he checked & told some small injury Blood clot happened but it will become O.k after 2 weeks, since baby is playing & O.K.
Please suggest in future any effect due to this ? after few years..?
March 22nd, 2011 at 5:51 pm
My 18 month old Son just rolled down the stair a few minutes ago and I feel so ashamed and guilty as that was one of my fears, I do feel better reading this he rolled sideways down the stairs and I tried to catch him in time but by the ime I got their he was already at the end of the stairs. Thanks for he information
April 1st, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Thanks very much for the posting….set my mind at ease.
My 13 month old son climbed upstairs after his brother (stair-gate must not have caught properly) and I was horrified as I saw what appeared to be him cartwheeling head over tail down the stairs like a rag-doll.
Luckily the stairs are carpeted and he landed upright at the bottom, but I was convinced he must have been seriously injured. Just cried a little from the shock and has a bit of a bruise on his forehead..thank goodness..!!
April 11th, 2011 at 8:58 pm
my 16 month old son fell yesterday at a friend place we grabbed him before he hit the bottom..he cried right afterwards so I wasn’t to worried until he started to vomit after his third time vomitting we called the paramedics and where there in know time..by the time we got the CHEO (Children’s hospital) he was sick again in the ambalance and was sick again while the dr examined him..he has no major injuries except for being nauses which they say is normal for children who have a trauma..today he has slept all day didn’t eat only drank water..I was told this was normal but I have to say am in still in shock and can’t forgive myself maybe once he get’s better I will feel better about the situation. am hoping by tomorrow he is better
April 21st, 2011 at 7:47 pm
omg i felt so bad my baby just fell down the steps and he acted fine after he cried and i brought him to my grandmas home where my mother was to ask for help and advice she said he seemed fine but i still felt bad that it happened but now that i see this page im better because i was worried if something might have happened inside his body after it had happened
April 27th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
my sister slipped and flipped all the way down the stairs i read this and she is just fine
May 25th, 2011 at 6:33 pm
omg my 10 month old climbed up the stairs then my, who went upstairs yelled all they downstairs to get my attention cuz i was cleanin up the living room and as my mom yelled she scared my daughter and boom boom boom 6x and as she was fallin my mom was yellin ahhhhh ooohhh scaring her more so by the time she hit the floor she wass soo scarred and i grabbed her and held her then went to see if anything was broke.. nothing jus a lil redness in her above both her eyebrows and under 1 eye and a lil rug burn above her eyebrow. ugghh idk why mom yelled for my attention she knows tha my daughter goes buck wild when any1 else…i was soo scared an my mom freakin out made everything worst
May 25th, 2011 at 6:53 pm
Thank you so so much for this article and all who have posted comments. My 9 mo old daughter just fell down the stairs and I’m still shaking as I try to calm down! She seems fine and is already harassing her big brother. She has a bump on her forehead and is acting like her normal chipper self. I feel horrible all the same though. I was so neurotic about making sure my son never had a fall and here I am hearing my little girls head hit the floor. But it’s comforting in a weird sort of way to know I’m not alone on this one. Makes all the difference.
May 26th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
im still unsure about my daughters fall.. she slipped ..fell down a flight of stairs and the second to bottom step broke as she landed on her back.. she suffered a black out and spine damage.. this was a few months back now, she is 11 years old.. and has to take pain killers daily,somtimes unable to get out of bed.. she is in pain every day and can only walk short distances before pain kicks in.. its very upsetting to see her like this as i cant do anything to help her bt comfort her when she is in pain. im still waiting for my housing association to fix the step that snapped off with her fall.. its been a few months since it happened and was reported to housing association the day after she come out of hospital. im still a nervous wreck when any my children come down stairs
May 31st, 2011 at 8:54 am
i just fell down the steps and i screemed all the way down what can you do ? just let your self go i went to hospital with a brocken back my sis watched it all happen she was horrified.
June 4th, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Flight of carpeted stairs? Imagine how I feel when my brother (not even one year) just fell down wooden, posssibly pointy, stairs and landed on to the concrete floor in our backyard.I have to wait what the doctors and my parents at the hospital say. I swear I’m going to die
June 29th, 2011 at 6:08 am
Wow! Yesterday, my 12 month toddler stood up on the gate and fell…maybe 5 to 6 steps of carpeted stairs. He cried while a put him into the car seat and headed to the ER. I was in shocked. While registering my child, I couldn’t remember my son’s name or birthday. My Doc confirmed that the chance of serious injury was slim. At that moment when I knew he would be fine, I fell apart and cried uncontrollably. I’m a big guy, and probably quite a sight for the Doc. He said that he gets that a lot, especially from Dads. Dads seem to be more guilt ridden. Not sure that this is true, but nonetheless all is very well! Hope this story helps another guilt-ridden parent!
July 2nd, 2011 at 8:43 pm
thank you so much for this post and the stats listed.. my 2.5 yr old just took a tumble down a flight of wooden stairs.. about 8.. didn’t sound hard until the end.. of course i flipped.. she cried for about 3 minutes… we checked her eyes, ears, quizzed her on name, address, birthday.. all in check.. still, called dr.. he said no way to brining her to the hospital.. just keep eye on vomitting or complaining of headache.. that and this article making me feel better.. but she will be sleeping with me tonight and tomorrow night.. worst feeling ever..
July 27th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
My 15 month old fell down a flight of basment stairs today, when I went to the bathroom fo 10 sec she managed to push over the baby gate and fall….I heard her screaming and she had a lot of blood coming from her mouth. She had her pacifier in so i think when she hit the hard floor below her pacifer cut her gums…this happened two hours ago she seems ok her mouth a little sore and a little bruise above her mouth…this article made me feel a lot better but i am still going to worry for the next few days cuz she is so little.
August 9th, 2011 at 1:07 am
I can concur with this article. I fell down
August 9th, 2011 at 1:10 am
I can concur with this article. I fell down the stairs while holding my daughter. She cried it out, ate, and played with everybody around her. While I suffered from a fractured tail bone and bruised ribs.
August 13th, 2011 at 12:33 am
This happened today to my 16 month old, she fell down a flight of stairs and has a bump on her forehead but is fine so far. Carpeted stairs and hardwood at the bottom.
August 19th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
I’m so thankful for this article! My 21 month old son fell from the halfway point of our stairs today. All I could do was watch. it was horrifying. I held it together until I could look him over and then he thought I was crazy because I just burst into tears (after he was over it already!!). Still dealing with guilt.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:27 am
thanks for this article, felt better after reading this.
August 26th, 2011 at 5:29 am
my 1 yr and 2mos old nephewjust fell from the stairs we were all worried and screaming because it s indeed a high stairs.he never stops crying,.he got few bruises and bump on his forehead..his mouth was bleeding..after reading this article and i shared it to his father who ws so worried and hysterical..thanks for the article..i was able to calm him…
September 2nd, 2011 at 2:41 am
my eleven months daughter feel down the stairs,while iam cleaning something in the room,she had nose bleeding after the accident,and she feel drowsy,i search something information to know what is the best way thing to do because im really new mother,then i read you article so i did not worry more..
September 4th, 2011 at 3:59 am
Thank you all for making me feel better!!! My 13 month old daughter just fell down 8 hard wood stairs and I feel aweful considering I was only a foot away from her. I am sure I will be checking on her often tonight which will result in not much sleep. But I will take it just to know she is ok. Thanks again.
September 12th, 2011 at 3:45 am
this article helped me, i had bouts if my daughter was ok or not she fell off some very very high slide she almost fainted
September 28th, 2011 at 6:52 am
my son is falling down on the floar.he is 15 months old. every time he will skip and falls on the floar.his back of the head will forcefully reach the floar and he will cry like anything.is there any danger of frequent falling and frequent strocks of head.. plz plz do reply
September 28th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
First, DO NOT PICK UP any child, person or being who has fallen. If they can easily get up and come to you, fine! Sit and cradle them in your lap and check them out. Otherwise, ask them where it hurts and if they can move or what they can’t move. Observe the child and the situation, if they fell down a few steps onto a carpeted landing, they may be just fine, but if they went down a flight of stairs to a concrete or marble floor, have some sense and get them checked out! You can’t see internal injuries and a minor concussion may not be noticeable by you but repeated minor concussions can be very harmful and even deadly.
September 28th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
This author is an idiot. Never assume all is fine just because they are LESS LIKELY to be injured in a fall.
Yes accidents happen but not seeking medical advice because an article said they should be fine, is totally negligent and completely asinine!
September 30th, 2011 at 4:31 am
I fell down stairs today ad didn’t know what to do this help me and you might want to add dont let people laugh it’s serious
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:41 pm
When I was four, the power went out in our house and I was in the kitchen playing with magnets on the fridge and my step dad,mom,bro and sis(older) were in the living room on the couch. They told me to walk to them. I walked and went to close the basement door so I wouldn’t fall, but when i went to close the door, it wasn’t there. I free-fell head first down hardwood stairs tumbled and landed on a concrete florr silent. I was so scared of the basement and no one was there i went into shock. My mom came down and then she never checked me took me to the doctor. All i know is that ever since that happened it’s like I just turned off, I became autistic and very slow and still have difficulty socializing, talking in conversations, and I just fell brain dead. Theres nothing I can do. My mom is like that she just doesn’t care. I mean my parents divorced when I was 2 and my development was impaired and i never really developed into an individual soul or person I’m just stuck like from where i was born…i never grew.
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:47 pm
I can’t even explain how parental neglect and abandonement feels to a child.
My mom made me feel like a burden it was burden to her to ask for food because i hadnt eaten all day, her parents didnt do that to her. I am so fearful just to provide myself with needs let alone wants. I just can’t believe my mother just ignored me when I cried didn’t feed me, she actually videotaped like a hour of me hysterically crying and never once picked me up touched me, just video taped, her consciounce was totally focused on herself or she is psycho.
October 2nd, 2011 at 8:56 pm
And when a child falls down especially uncarpeted and a lot of stairs head first and lands on a hard surface, take your child to the doctor because even though they didnt break any bones or bleed from a cracked skull, the brain could have been damaged inside…
A child that will love was shown and taught love.
How to show love:
Feed your child
Hold your child
Engage with the child
Develop a strong relationship with the child
Do not let the child sit infront of the TV all the time
Discipline the child and not being lenient or like oh whatever goes…not going to work out in the long run
Parent- you have a responsibility…do it its called PARENTING.
Stay with your partner
teach your child according to his or her development stages about relationships, why we love, why we care, why we share, why we give, what our needs are.
Never neglect or not parent them nor abandon
Show them you are invested in their time and future.
Plan meals, play dates, sports activities, family game nighht, vacations, birthday parties, homework time, play time.
Schedule have a structure
Have a good manly role model and a nurturing woman role model.
Bad parenting starts with the dynamics between the mom and dad. You can’t just pop babies out and expect them to be fine on their own w/o you really playing a role in their life and half assing everything and being selfish.
October 18th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
My 1 y/o boy actually got pushed down the stairs by a 2 y/o girl he landed in a sitting position it scared the hell out of me so I flew down the steps like a bat out of hell screaming how did my baby fall nobody wanted to tell me because I was so upset at the time but I calmed down and did an examination and everything is fine thanx for the info it really helpedme relax a little
November 23rd, 2011 at 6:29 am
First, thanks to the author. This article rocks, and most of us appreciate it very much!!!
Second, you should read the whole study summary he’s referencing. Here are some important facts in the summary that should have been mentioned (but remember, this study is only on children who were actually taken into the ER/doctor’s office/etc.):
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86% had injuries
6% had multiple injuries
71% has head/neck injuries
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Looking on the bright side, 14% of children taken in after falling down the stairs had NO injuries.
I guess the most important thing is to trust your gut.
I feel like total crap because my little almost 2 year old son just fell down 8 carpeted stairs on my watch
I only saw the end of the fall, which seemed pretty harmless (i.e., sideways rolling), but still…
I apparently teleported to the bottom of the stairs and probably startled him even more by freaking out. He cried, about as hard as he does when he bonks his head on other things (tables, floors, you know…) He calmed down, happily drank his juice, and crawled into bed. There was no stopping the bedtime, he was already exhausted.
I checked him out a little, and checked his head for bumps, etc. My gut says he’s fine. My wife thinks so too (I’m actually being the more dramatic one…)
Here’s the full summary I mentioned before (not to freak you out, but to give you the full flavor):
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DO FALLS DOWN STAIRS CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY
IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN?
C. Henson, N. Yousef, E. Curtis, C. de San Lazaro. Royal Victoria Infirmary,Newcastle upon Tyne.
Objectives: To determine the type, distribution and severity of injuries
sustained when preschool children fall downstairs.
Method: We examined 14 212 Accident and Emergency records
from a district general hospital to identify those children aged 4 years
and under who presented between 1st January 1999 and 30th June 2001 following a fall downstairs. Data collected included age,
gender, details of the fall, the type and site of the injuries and the outcome of the visit to Accident and Emergency.
Results: 437 children, 202 girls and 232 boys, were identified.
27 falls occurred in children under 9 months and 310 falls (71%)
occurred in the early mobile age group (12 to 36 months). 387 falls
(89%) occurred in the child’s home. There were 402 injuries in 376
children. 28 children (6%) sustaining more than 1 injury. 287 injuries
(71%) affected the head and the neck and 94 injuries, (23%) a distal
limb. Only 6 children (1%) sustained proximal limb fractures. There
were no rib fracture. There were no deaths or severe injuries such as
cerebral haemorrhages/tears, visceral trauma or spinal fractures.
Conclusions: Severe injuries and death do not occur as a result of
falls down stairs. The pattern of injury is peripheral with sparing of the
trunk. Multiple injuries are rare. Therefore the presence of severe
injury or multiple injuries, especially those involving the trunk, should
be viewed with suspicion.
December 10th, 2011 at 9:43 pm
So glad I read this! My 18 month old is often upstairs playing with her older brothers. Even while I’m getting chores done downstairs I’m a nervous wreck that one of my sons will leave the room and forget to shut the door and then she’ll decide to follow and attempt going down the stairs. It hasn’t happened yet, thank God, and reading this helped me feel a bit more hopeful should such an event happen. I definitely feel more prepared for such an incident but I will still be on the look out to make sure it doesn’t happen! God bless!
December 10th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
You could always put up a gate and then you would have less to worry about.
December 16th, 2011 at 11:51 pm
My newly 1 year old has been walking for a bout a month now and had escaped out of my bedroom to the hallway and feel down the stairs. Honestly she cried less than i did literally! as soon as i picked her up and made it back to my room she was fine. I checked her over and have not noticed anything out of the ordinary. Than you for this post it has helped me so much!!! Thank god she had a Doctor appointment anyway in 2 days!
December 17th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Glad to hear that she is fine and I happy you found this post useful.
December 19th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Thank yo so much for this post! My 13 month old son fell down the stairs yesterday morning. I ran down the stairs and didn’t scream but still said “Oh my G-D!” My 4 year old was the one who saw him go down and yelled Mommy! I ran down the stairs and scooped him up, he was crying and moving, I stripped him down to his diaper and looked him over he seemed fine. I called my husband and my son’s doctor who said I should bring him to the ER and I lost it again then we called my SIL (who has 6 kids) she had told us how to check for dilation of his eyes we did and he’s fine. The scene kept playing out in my head. Thank you for the post I feel a lot better now reading your post and other mom’s posts too!
December 26th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
seriously i am so grateful to have read this article and all of the following posts…my 2.5 month old daughter had THE worst first christmas that anyone can imagine…I had just arrived at a christmas party and she was sleeping in her car seat…I had just fed her in the vehicle before we came in and didnt do up her security belts…we first walked in and I thought maybe I should take her out of her carseat, then I was like no shes sleeping I will let her relax..next thing I was walking 2-3 steps down these steep carpeted stairs and it was like a movie/dream and I thought the blanket had just fallen out of the car seat…but it was my daughter and she was rolling down all 10 steps on her side…my instinct kicked in and I didnt realize it at the time but I let go of the car seat and ran after her…she cried directly after and I checked all of her limbs and spine and everything was fine…I was worried about her poor little brain and so we went to Emergency (christmas day) …they said everything was fine but to watch out for the next 24 hrs for any signs of a brain injury…PRAISE THE LORD 24 hrs is over and in the past 24 hrs she has been herself <3 I cant stop replaying the moment in my mind and thinking how stupid I was and why didnt I just take her out of the carseat or do up the belts…anyways this article made me feel a LOT better!! thank you
December 26th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Wow a really frightening story. My goodness. Thank G-d she is alright. Its definitely helped that that the stairs were carpeted.
January 2nd, 2012 at 5:46 pm
my 3 yr old siter fell down a flight of stairs and it was a horrible site i just did not know what to say she has a big bruise on the forehead and acarpet burn on left eye but she is ok she screamed loudly we took her to the er 10 min after the fact this website made me feel alot better thank you
January 15th, 2012 at 1:19 pm
My 14 Month old fell down stairs four days ago and im still so freaked out, he cried right away and is fine except for a carpet burn on his right eye and nose but the guilt and shame you feel as a parent is unbelieveable, im still having nightmares and i will never forget the noise of hearing my baby fall down stairs like other parents i thought the safety gate was closed when it couldnt have been shut right, but this article is so amazing and although i still feel traumatized this article gives you such reassurance that your child is ok, many mant thanks xx
January 16th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
I hope everyone who has posted along with feeling relief that their child has not done any permanent damage, does something to prevent this from happening again. As an accident prevention consultant with over 35 years of experience I find it incredible that so many of these kinds of accidents continue to happen so often. A simple solution is a set of gates on your stairs, one at the top, and one at the bottom. These can be bought, or if you do not have much money can be made easily from pine. Do make sure that the catch on the gate is child proof, as this will also help protect the not so young children from having the same misfortune. I hope you do not find this post offensive, as I would be failing in myself as a person by not mentioning what can be done to both avoid this happening in the first place, and in many cases, again.
January 16th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
Hi Evans, thanks for the comment. I agree. When our kids were little we had a gate the top and bottom of the stairs. What people need to understand is that many gates that people purchase are not intended for stairs but rather to keep a child in or out of a room. Far too many people use these gates for stairs.
Do you have a link for instructions on how to make such a proper stair gate? Feel free to post it in a comment.
January 21st, 2012 at 9:39 pm
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January 28th, 2012 at 8:58 am
My 2 year old daughter just fell on the stairs 8 hrs. ago, after that she was ok and acts like normal no bruises and no bleeding but i’m so worried coz she puked after 6 six hrs. i supposed to bring her to the emergency but when i read your post it made feel better. Thank you very much and more power.