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Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger

Topic Overview



  • Young children cannot control the movement of their heads as well as adults.
    • Their heads are larger in relation to their bodies.
    • Their neck muscles are not as well developed.

Bumps, cuts, and scrapes on the head and face usually heal well and can be treated the same as injuries to other parts of the body. A superficial cut on the head often bleeds heavily because the face and scalp have many blood vessels close to the surface of the skin. This bleeding is alarming, but often the injury is not severe and the bleeding will stop with home treatment. See how to stop bleeding. When bleeding does not stop with home treatment, visit a doctor, because a young child can lose a large amount of blood from a deep cut on the head.


Shaken baby syndrome is thought to occur when a baby is violently shaken, thrown, or slammed, causing the baby's head to move forward and backward rapidly. This movement causes the brain to hit the sides of the skull forcefully, leading to bleeding in the eyes and injury and bleeding in the brain. Brain injury and bleeding can cause increased pressure in the brain. Increased pressure in the brain can lead to serious, permanent brain damage. Babies who have trouble breathing or who stop breathing during an episode of being shaken, thrown, or slammed may have more brain damage.






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