Signs of a Concussion in a Child

Kids can get concussions from head bumps, and spotting signs early makes follow-up care easier. Watch for vomiting, worsening headache, dizziness, vision changes, balance or speech problems, memory gaps, unusual sleepiness, mood changes, or clinginess after a hit. Any brief loss of consciousness, seizures, unequal pupils, repeated vomiting, or one-sided weakness needs emergency care. Stay calm, keep the child still, check symptoms often, and tell the doctor exactly when changes started.

What Is a Concussion and How It Happens

Provided your child hits their head or takes a hard bounce, the brain can move inside the skull and get shaken up, and that’s what a concussion is: a mild brain injury that changes how the brain works for a while.

You want to know how it happens so you can feel less helpless.

Inside the skull the brain floats in fluid, and sudden forces change its motion.

Impact biomechanics studies show how speed, angle, and rotation matter.

You can protect your child through learning helmet safety and choosing a well fit helmet for activities.

You’ll also watch how falls or collisions transfer energy to the head.

As soon as you understand the mechanics, you’ll feel more confident keeping your child safe and supported.

Immediate Physical Signs to Watch For

After you understand how a concussion happens, the next thing to notice is how the body shows that it’s hurt right away. You want to stay calm and steady so your child feels supported. Watch for clear physical signs and trust your instincts.

1. Sudden nausea or vomiting soon after a hit, which can show the brain was jolted.
2. Visible neck stiffness that makes turning or moving the head painful, so you help them avoid strain.
3. Pupil changes like one pupil larger than the other or slow reaction to light, signaling you should get help.
4. Loss of consciousness or brief confusion, where they seem dazed or unsure of time and place.

These signs often come together, so act promptly and stay close.

Headache, Dizziness, and Balance Problems

Should your child keep complaining about a headache that doesn’t get better or seems to get worse, pay close attention and trust your concern.

You’ll also want to watch how they walk and move because an unsteady gait or sudden vertigo can mean their balance system is affected.

These symptoms often show up together, so noting both the headache pattern and any wobbliness will help you and the doctor figure out the next step.

Persistent or Worsening Headache

Headaches are common after a bump to the head, but you should pay close attention should your child’s headache keeps getting worse or won’t go away, because that can mean their brain needs extra care. You want to feel supported and know what to watch for. Persistent pain can link with post concussion fatigue and other symptoms, so timely pain management matters.

1. In case pain grows stronger over hours tell your child you’re listening and call your clinician.
2. In case pain won’t ease with rest, quiet, and usual pain management ask for medical advice.
3. Watch for new nausea, sensitivity to light, or trouble waking and report these with calm urgency.
4. Track headache patterns in a simple log to share with your care team and feel more connected.

Unsteady Gait or Vertigo

Sometimes dizziness or trouble walking shows up along with a headache, and that can feel scary for both you and your child. You want to know what it means whenever your child sways, trips more, or says the room spins.

These balance problems point to the vestibular system, so talk with your care team about vestibular rehabilitation. That therapy gives gentle exercises to help the brain and body relearn balance.

As your child practices, sensory reweighting happens. The brain shifts how it uses sight, touch, and inner ear input to steady movement.

You can help through staying close during exercises, offering calm praise, and keeping routines predictable. Provided symptoms worsen or last, seek prompt medical follow up.

Nausea, Vomiting, and Visual Changes

Often you’ll observe tummy upset or trouble with sight after a bump to the head, and those signs matter because they can point to a concussion.

You may notice nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, or light sensitivity.

These symptoms can feel scary, and it’s okay to seek help together.

1. Watch for repeated vomiting or inability to keep food down and check for dietary triggers that make nausea worse.
2. Notice blurred or double vision and ask your child how light and focus feel.
3. Look for trouble tracking moving objects and consider asking about vision therapy sooner rather than later.
4. Keep a calm presence, record at what point symptoms start, and share that timeline with your care team.

You belong in this circle of support and you don’t have to handle it alone.

Cognitive and Speech-Related Symptoms

You could notice your child having trouble recalling things like recent conversations, names, or what they were just doing, and that can be scary and confusing for both of you.

At the same time their speech could sound slurred or unusually slow, which often goes hand in hand with memory problems and shows the brain is still healing.

In case you see either issue, stay calm, reassure them, and seek medical advice so they obtain the right checks and support.

Trouble Remembering Things

Should your child seems to forget things more than usual after a bump on the head, that change can feel scary and confusing for both of you.

You want practical steps and comfort. Try these gentle supports that let your family stick together while you help your child recover.

1. Keep a simple routine sheet at home so your child recalls daily tasks and feels safe.
2. Use short memory games for practice that are fun and build confidence without pressure.
3. Talk with teachers about school accommodations like extra time, checklists, or quieter testing spaces.
4. Meet with a trusted clinician or school counselor in case forgetfulness grows or affects schoolwork so you all stay connected and supported.

Slurred or Slowed Speech

Should your child start talking more slowly or their words come out slurred after a bump on the head, don’t panic but do pay attention, because this can be a sign their brain needs help to process speech.

You’ll want to watch for changes in clarity, pace, or effort whenever they speak. Say something gentle and stay close so they feel safe. Tell them you’re there while you record when it started and how it’s different from usual.

Call your pediatrician provided it’s new or gets worse. They might suggest a checkup and refer you to speech therapy.

Meanwhile, simple vocal exercises at home can keep muscles active and reassure your child. You’re not alone and you can get help.

Emotional and Behavioral Changes

Should a child get a concussion, it can change how they act and feel in ways that can be surprising and scary for both of you. You could notice mood swings and sudden irritability one day, then withdrawal behaviors the next. You want to belong with your child while you watch for signs and offer calm support. These behaviors come from the brain trying to heal, and your steady presence helps.

1. They might show mood swings and cry easily, even over small things.
2. Sudden irritability can make them snap at friends or family.
3. Withdrawal behaviors show as quiet time or avoiding activities.
4. A loss of interest in hobbies or play can mean they need gentler days.

Stay close, listen, and reassure them you’re there.

Sleep Disturbances After a Head Injury

After a head hit, you could notice your child has trouble falling asleep and wakes often during the night, which can make everyone feel more worried and tired.

You might also see them sleeping too much during the day or suddenly changing their usual sleep schedule, and these shifts can affect mood and memory.

Let’s look at how these sleep changes show up and what steps you can take to help your child rest and recover.

Trouble Falling Asleep

Trouble falling asleep is a common and upsetting sign of a head injury in kids, and you’ll often notice your child lying awake longer than usual, tossing and turning, or saying their mind won’t switch off. You want to help and to feel connected to other parents facing this. Try small, steady changes together that feel doable and kind.

1. Keep calming bedtime routines that signal rest, like a warm bath, quiet reading, and soft lights.
2. Limit screen time before bed and avoid bright, active play that keeps the brain alert.
3. Talk with your child about worries at night and use simple breathing exercises to settle thoughts.
4. Ask your provider about melatonin use should sleep won’t improve and follow their guidance.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Often kids with a head bump will feel much sleepier during the day than they did before, and that sudden tiredness can worry you and make everyday life harder.

You may notice your child taking excessive naps after school or during play whenever they never did before. Daytime fatigue can make them irritable, slow to respond, and less interested in friends and activities.

You’ll want to watch how long and how often those naps happen and compare them to their usual energy levels. Talk with your child about how they feel and keep a simple log of sleepy times.

Reach out to your care team should the excessive naps or daytime fatigue continue or in case you feel something is off.

Changes in Sleep Patterns

Sleep can change a lot after a head bump, and you could notice your child sleeping in ways that seem out of sorts. You could feel worried and want clear signs to watch for. Sleep problems often show up as shifts in sleep cycles and REM disruption, and they affect family routines.

1. Increased nap changes: your child naps more or less, and afternoons get unpredictable.
2. Night wakings: they wake often, struggle to fall back asleep, and this links to REM disruption.
3. Bedtime resistance: fights, delays, or fear around sleep can begin after injury.
4. Daytime mood swings: irritability, trouble focusing, and clinging often follow altered sleep cycles.

You’ll want to track patterns, share observations with your care team, and trust your instincts.

Age-Specific Signs in Infants and Toddlers

Once your infant or toddler hits their head, you’ll want to watch for signs that are different from what older kids can tell you, because little ones can’t explain how they feel. You’ll notice changes in bonding cues like less eye contact or less interest in cuddles. Feeding routines could shift suddenly — more refusals or more fussing at feeds. You’re part of a caring group of parents watching closely together.

Stay connected and share observations with your pediatrician.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care

Should your child hit their head and you notice worrying signs, trust your gut and get emergency care right away. You and your child aren’t alone, and acting fast can help. Know when to transport and what emergency indicators mean so you feel ready.

1. Loss of consciousness even briefly. Should this occur, go straight to emergency care because it can signal serious injury.
2. Repeated vomiting or worsening headache. These are strong emergency indicators and mean you should transport now.
3. Slurred speech, weakness on one side, or clear confusion. These signs need immediate medical attention and swift transport.
4. Seizure or unequal pupils. These are urgent emergency indicators and require emergency care without delay.

How Concussions Are Diagnosed and Monitored

Diagnosing and watching a concussion means paying attention to changes you can see and things your child says, because prompt identification helps keep them safe.

You’ll start with a clinical exam where the provider checks balance, considering, memory, and vision. They might compare results to baseline testing should your child had school or sports records.

Imaging is rare and used only when serious symptoms appear.

After diagnosis, your care team and family stay connected. You’ll get clear signs to watch and scheduled checks. Many families use telemedicine follow up for convenience and to stay reassured while recovering.

You’re encouraged to ask questions, share observations, and lean on coaches, teachers, and friends so your child feels supported.

At-Home Care and Activity Restrictions

As your child comes home after a concussion, the initial days set the tone for recovery, so make the house calm and predictable. You’ll want to offer quiet rest but stay emotionally present, so your child feels safe and not isolated.

Here are practical steps you can take together.

1. Limit screens and schoolwork, and provide short quiet rest periods with dim lights and soft sounds.
2. Encourage slow, gradual activity like short walks or gentle play, increasing time as symptoms ease.
3. Keep a simple symptom log and check in often, so your child knows you’re on the same team.
4. Create predictable routines for meals, sleep, and low-demand activities to reduce stress and help healing.

These steps help your family move forward with care and confidence.

Working With Schools and Healthcare Providers

Once your child returns to school after a concussion, keep close contact with teachers and the school nurse so everyone understands what your child needs and why. You’ll build a team that listens, shares updates, and supports gradual returns. Use school communication to request classroom adjustments, extra rest, or test changes. Share medical notes and ask your provider to join care coordination with school staff. Whenever everyone speaks clearly, your child feels safe and included.

Keep checking in weekly. You’ll notice better progress whenever the team acts together and your child feels seen.