Finding out what worries a baby is not always easy. Parents should understand that if a child's behavior changes, he suddenly starts screaming, or his appetite disappears, something worries him. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a specialist.
Baby
Symptoms of headaches in infants
The baby cannot explain what worries him and where he hurts. Parents have to guess about poor health, paying attention to any changes.
How to understand that a baby has a headache:
- The baby cries constantly;
- The sleep of the crumbs suffers;
- Appetite disappears;
- Anxiety appears.
Similar symptoms appear with a host of diseases. If the baby starts having seizures, he often and profusely spits up, he must be shown to a neurologist.
Causes of headaches in newborns
A headache can occur at any age, babies are not immune from this. The following factors can provoke pain:
- Unpleasant and pungent odors, especially if the room is stuffy and not ventilated;
- Emotional shock, stressful situation, for example, the baby was left without parents for the first time for a long time;
- Improper nutrition of the mother during pregnancy and lactation. Some foods can lead to headaches. This is due to the components that make up them, these include, for example, sodium nitride and chloride.
Note! If a baby has a headache after he has fallen, it is imperative to visit a doctor.
After falls, you can not give the baby to sleep. If, after hitting his head, he pulls into sleep, this is an alarming sign. It is dangerous if the child has vomited and lost his appetite. If the baby cried, ate, and then continued to go about his business, there is no need for urgent medical attention, but it is still worth showing the child to the doctor.
An ultrasound scan of the brain is done for a monthly baby to exclude pathologies of its development. This procedure is safe for crumbs and can be performed while the fontanelle has closed.
Kid on ultrasound
Headaches can accompany hydrocephalic syndrome, in which cerebrospinal fluid is produced in large quantities and is retained in the ventricles of the brain. A similar deviation can be seen on the ultrasound. Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment is carried out, usually drug therapy is combined with massage and other restorative procedures.
Signs of a headache
It is possible to determine that a baby has a headache by a number of signs. Their presence does not yet confirm the presence of the disease in the baby. Alarming symptoms require medical attention.
Continuous crying
A baby can cry for various reasons: hunger, discomfort, stuffy or wet. A child attracts the attention of adults by screaming, because he cannot communicate in another way.
Note! If his crying becomes monotonous, starts for no apparent reason and does not stop for a long time, you should pay the doctor's attention to this.
Bad dream
Because of headaches, the baby may sleep poorly, not only at night, but also during the day. He constantly tosses and turns, cries out in his sleep, can jerk his arms or legs.
It happens that some children confuse day with night and get enough sleep in the light of the sun. If this does not happen, and the baby is resting much less than prescribed by age norms, parents need to worry.
Scream when touching the head
If a baby has a headache, he may try to relieve the pain by any means: turning from side to side, pulling his hair. The kid can bang on the sides of the bed, sofa. This does not necessarily mean that the child is in pain. Perhaps he is annoyed and tries to calm himself down with rhythmic movements. If he has a headache, then when he touches it, the discomfort usually intensifies, then the little one starts crying harder.
Child screams when touching his head
Regurgitation
Almost all children under six months often spit up. The main thing is that this does not happen after each meal, and the volume does not exceed two tablespoons. It is allowed for the child to vomit with a fountain once a day. This means that all the formula or milk eaten during the last feed has not been absorbed.
The following symptoms are considered dangerous:
- The crumb is constantly spitting up a fountain. At the same time, he loses weight, does not sleep well, is capricious;
- Regurgitation is not associated with meals.
Convulsions
In infants, convulsions can occur against a background of high fever, with some infectious diseases, for example, meningitis. They also accompany head injuries and increased intracranial pressure. There is nothing wrong if the baby jerked while resting, falling into a deep sleep. When this is an isolated case, and during the day he is cheerful and active, you should not worry.
If the crumbs have a seizure, you need to call an ambulance. It can be recognized by the following features:
- The child throws his head back, arching at the same time;
- Arms and legs are often stretched forward, become tense;
- The eyes may roll up and the lips turn blue.
Such manifestations require the obligatory consultation of a neurologist.
Sometimes newborns experience tremors when the chin trembles when crying or in a moment of joy. This is due to the immaturity of the nervous system, the experience of violent emotions. For a young child, all events are new and can be stressful. If the baby's arms, legs, head are trembling, then you need to visit a doctor to exclude neurological problems. First of all, this is intracranial pressure, which leads to headaches.
Veins on the head
If the veins on the child's head are convex and well visible, you need to go to a neurologist. This may be a sign of hydrocephalus, you should not ignore such a symptom, because in this case the baby suffers from headaches.
Note! Translucent veins are not necessarily a sign of a dangerous disease. Perhaps this is a feature of the child if he has thin and pale skin. Only a doctor can determine if there is a pathology by examining the toddler.
Refusal to eat
When the baby has once refused to eat, you should not panic. If the baby has missed several feedings, then something is bothering him. When the baby is capricious, reaches for the breast or bottle, and then throws it and turns away, he experiences, at least, discomfort. It is especially dangerous if a newborn baby does not eat. In this case, it is better to call an ambulance.
Child refuses formula
Diseases causing headaches
Pain in the head can accompany various diseases:
- SARS, flu;
- Ear infections;
- Sinusitis;
- Meningitis;
- Encephalitis;
- Hydrocephalus.
Any changes in the child's behavior, a rise in temperature, monotonous crying, prolonged refusal to eat, frequent spitting up are reasons to see a doctor. If, when calling an ambulance, they offer to go to the hospital, you do not need to refuse. A comprehensive examination will help you quickly find the cause of the ailment and eliminate it.
Note! If the baby has impaired coordination of movements, vision suffers, then you need to immediately seek medical help. Perhaps the crumbs began to have disorders in the brain.
Parents should understand that any deviations and pathologies must be treated under the supervision of a doctor. Do not be afraid of such a diagnosis as hydrocephalic syndrome. The movement and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid are medically regulated. The main thing is to comply with the dosage of drugs indicated by the doctor and not miss examinations. Any violations are easier to correct up to a year. With an early start of treatment, the risk of complications is considered minimal.
Prevention of headaches
Sometimes headaches occur as a result of difficult childbirth and the consequence of complications identified during pregnancy. They can be acquired, for example, accompany infectious diseases or happen from an overabundance of emotions. In this case, you can minimize the risks of their appearance, strengthening the immunity of the crumbs, providing it with proper nutrition.
Schedule
From birth, a child needs a daily regimen. The kid should go to bed and get up at approximately the same time. This will reduce the stress on the nervous system and allow you to quickly recover wasted energy. The baby gets used to the created routine and feels more confident and calmer, knowing what to do next.
Walking
Fresh air is essential for any person. It is recommended to walk with children for at least two hours daily.
Baby on a walk
Massage
Often, babies under one year old have muscle hypertonicity. At the same time, they are very tense, which slows down the development of the baby, affects its motor activity. If the neck muscles are affected, headaches may occur. A neurologist can advise on gymnastics and stress relief exercises. In some cases, the help of a specialist will be needed, sometimes the actions of the mother will be enough.
Nutrition
Doctors recommend keeping breastfeeding for at least 6 months. If the crumbs have neurological problems, then it's good if the baby feeds on mother's milk for up to a year or longer. This is the best way to enrich your baby's body with vitamins and nutrients needed to fight various infections and inflammation. Complementary foods should be introduced in a timely manner, starting with vegetables and cereals. It is undesirable to give sugar to babies up to a year.
If the baby constantly has a headache, you definitely need to visit a neurologist with him. The doctor will examine the baby and determine if there are pathologies that require treatment, and, if necessary, will prescribe an additional examination. If deviations are excluded, then he will advise you to adjust the regime, sign up for a massage, and walk more in the fresh air.
