Traumatic brain injury

[peddoc212]

I am a pediatrician. I would like to seek your expert opinion on traumatic brain injury. 1) Is there a consensus on the height of a fall which would be fatal in an infant of few months old? 2)Is it possible for a head injury that caused skull fracture with subdural and subarachnoid hemorrahge to occur without external scalp wound or bruise? Thanks for your help in advance. I would appreciate if you can provide reference as well. Thanks again.

[peddoc212]

Thanks a lot for the information. They are very useful.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi!
As far as I know and have seen in my practice, there is no height which can be said to be safe for a fall. Children are known to fall from a standing position and sustain TBI. Also many a times there is no external injury or neurological symptoms to alert the doctor. Yes, its possible to have subarachnoid hemorrhage and fracture of skull bones without any external injury (though usually you may find a contusion). I am sorry, but I cannot provide any links—its against our policy.
Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.