Falling from the bed is not common for all ages. But people of a certain age, such as young children and older people, are most affected by falling from bed.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falling off is the second most common cause of accidental death worldwide. This is especially true for children and elderly adults.
So, keep reading if you wish to know what to do if your baby falls off bed and the remedy afterward.
Apart from that, we will also discuss in detail what you need to know about people in certain age groups who are at the highest risk of injuries from bed falls.
Who Is at More Risk of Falling from Bed?
Unsurprisingly, young children and older adults are at more risk of injuries from bed falls.
What major cause does it lead to? We will be discussing it below in detail:
- Younger Children: It is not uncommon for young children to fall out of bed, especially children above the age of 4 months. Children become mobile and tend to fall out of bed frequently due to their active nature. In most cases, parents get extremely frightened, and they get worried if a fall causes serious injuries to their baby. Also, both falling from bed and getting injured are not uncommon for these children. But if they do not have any serious symptoms, there is nothing to worry about.
- Older Adults: Older adults risk getting injured from bed falls like young children. According to the experts, people above the age of 65 have more risk of getting injured from bed falls. Not only that, the rate of morbidity above the age of 65 by falling from bed is higher than the other causes globally.
Injury Symptoms to Look for In Young Children After A Fall
If you are wondering how to keep your baby safe from bed falls, then learning about the common symptoms and injuries after a bed fall can be helpful for you.
Below, we will discuss some common symptoms and injuries to look for in young children after a bed fall:
- If your baby got a cut or has been bleeding after a bed fall, you must swing into the action as quickly as possible and rush to the doctor for treatment.
- If you see your child have symptoms of drowsiness, spitting, vomiting, constantly whining, or becoming unconscious, take them immediately to the doctor. Remember, these symptoms are associated with brain injury, and waiting for a long time can make the condition worse.
- If your baby is over 4 months old and cannot move their hand or leg after a bed fall, it might be a sign of bone, joint, or muscle injury. You should immediately seek medical help.
- In case your baby refuses to get fed after a bed fall (similar to stomach pain). Then, it might be a sign that your baby has hurt their abdomen accidentally.
- If you observe your baby’s urine becoming faded red after a bed fall, then it can indicate an abdomen trauma or serious bladder injury.
Injury Symptoms to Look for In Older Adults After A Fall
Here, we have listed some common symptoms and injuries to look for in older adults after a bed fall-
- Hand and wrist injury is the most common among elderly people after a bed fall.
- Seniors can also face cracked bones, ribs, joint dislocation, hematomas, lacerations, etc., after a bed fall.
- Ground injuries such as the pelvis, humerus, and hip damage are also common in older people.
Precautions to Prevent Fall: Young Children
Prevention is the utmost essential technique that you must use to prevent your baby from falling-
- Use a bed or cot that has 4 sides railing with tight locks to prevent your baby from falling.
- Keep the railing distance less than 6 cm to prevent your child from getting their hand or leg stuck.
- Attach a pillow or other stuff on the railing to safeguard the bad.
Keep the bed low or lie on the mattress, and most importantly, never keep them out of sight.
Precautions to Prevent Fall: Older Adults
Here are a few prevention tips you can use to keep older people safe from falling out of bed-
- Use memory foam for a quiet and peaceful night’s sleep.
- Keep a chair beside the bed for easier hydraulic lift and better sitting and standing scope.
- Use a bed with attachable support bars or railing.
- Keep them fit and healthy to avoid serious injuries.
Final Words
Falling out of bed is a common issue in young children and seniors. They are also prone to injuries that can even become fatal at times.
Both kids above 4 months and older adults above the age of 65 have the highest rate of injuries from bed falls.
People of these age groups have a higher tendency to injure themselves from a simple bed fall.
However, the chances of fatality can be curbed if their symptoms and injuries are observed and treated timely.
In the section above, we have discussed everything you need to learn about the common symptoms, injuries to look for, and prevention tips to keep people at a certain age safe from bed falls and related injuries.
Drop in your suggestions if additional points are associated with the fall-off bed and how they can be curbed or addressed without causing panic attacks.
