You love your child so much you would literally give an arm for them. Your worst nightmare is them suffering, having an accident or being ill. As a parent, you make all the necessary efforts so your kid is safe and sound. And when misfortunes such as car accidents happen, you feel like your whole work is gone down the river and start to blame yourself for not avoiding the inevitable.
There’s no way you could have prepared your child beforehand. A car accident happened and you are now spending your nights stressing over how you can help your child recover better and quicker, how you can erase this bad memory from their innocent minds, what measures you can take to prevent such painful mishaps from ever happening again and how you will manage everything financially.
Take 10 seconds to breathe, to calm your mind and to realize that you are not the first to get through such a disaster. There are solutions out there, but your mind needs to be rested so that you can make the best and quickest decisions. Someone who’s been in your shoes would share the following knowledge with you:
Solutions to common long-term injuries kids experience after a car accident
This experience stays forever with some people. But children’s likelihood to experience a long-lasting psychological and physical injury or trauma is ten times higher than that of an adult.
Brain injuries
It is hard to say how a traumatic brain injury will affect your kid’s developing brain. Physical effects of a TBI in children are: affected fine and gross motor skills, painful headaches and frequent tiredness and exhaustion. Besides these, they are prone to develop seizures as well.
Some of these aspects can be enhanced with medications, therapy and doctors’ help. You will also have to ensure their regular check-ups because you need medical records to prove the extent of their injuries when you ask for the car crash compensation.
Not taking the complete medically prescribed treatment can complicate your toddler’s condition and the whole insurance claiming process as well.
Scars, burns and bruises on face and body
Luckily, there are procedures that improve your kid’s skin condition. Dermatologic procedures such as dermabrasion or laser therapy remove the layer of the scar tissue. For severe wounds from the car crash, for third degree burns and for serious aesthetic concerns, revision or removal surgeries are viable options. Excisions and skin grafting corrects the scar tissue on the skin and can minimise the scar’s width.
Other less invasive but still effective solutions that enhance the aspect of your kid’s skin are:
- injections and injectables such as the Corticosteroid and Botox ones
- compression treatment to decrease the inflammation and pain – you can find compression wraps at the drugstore
- physical therapy, stretches and exercises at home and at the therapy Clinique to strengthen their muscles and increase mobility
- the Graston technique that helps improve your kid’s range of motions
- gel or liquid-based adhesion barriers that prevent the skin tissues from sticking together and hurting your child.
Think of an action plan depending on the gravity of your kid’s locomotory, brain and skin conditions and on your financial possibilities. You should better write the approximate expenses down so you have an idea of how much money you need for your kid’s recovery and determine what less important costs you can cut down. Compensation Calculator Uk recommends you estimate the car accident compensation amount you will obtain to understand what costs it covers, especially if your house and personal expenditure and income are as unpredictable as the forthcoming expenditures.
Psychological and emotional recovery
Car accidents are traumatic for everyone, let alone for your child. They might be seriously traumatised, and show little to no signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. Know that PTSD takes different forms according to your child’s age. Take a grasp on the following symptoms of PTSD a kid that experienced a car accident can have to find out if they should go to therapy.
- A kid under 5 years old can shows signs of:
- Behavioural regression
- Fear of the dark
- Wetting the bed
- Clinginess and separation anxiety
- Sucking on the thumb
- A child between 6 to 11 years old can have symptoms like:
- Excessive crying
- Disruptiveness
- Appetite changes
- Extreme withdrawal
- Anger
- Problems at school
- Nightmares or difficulties sleeping
- Stomach-aches or head-aches
- Youngsters from 12 to 17 years old can experience:
- Depression
- Nightmares or difficulties sleeping
- Anger
- Problems with friends
- Academic decline
Your kid might need cognitive behavioural therapy to help them manage their emotions and change the way they behave. Your kid’s mental health can be affected by a traumatic brain injury resulting from a car accident. Consider taking your child to CBT if you recognize some of the following patterns in them:
- Cognitive – a brain injury impacts tasks required of them in school by compromising their organisational skills, memory, comprehension, concentration, attention, communication and general intellectual functioning.
- Behavioural – a TBI may affect your child’s personality. They may develop aggressive, irrational and impulsive behaviour, and have trouble forming friendships and relating to others.
Besides specialised medical care, there are things you can do at home too. Your child needs a healthy environment in which they feel warmth and safety to overcome their PTSD.
Trauma experts state that talking about the accident and making your child name their fears help in the process of rehabilitation.
To cheer him up, plan some entertaining activities your kid would enjoy. For example, pick some cartoons to watch together if they are immobilised. Call their friends over for a movie, create a cosy atmosphere and offer them delicious snacks. Consider what your child’s hobbies are and ensure you spark joy in these hard times.
Focus on the present: small steps make big changes
Hopefully, these pieces of advice and information help you see your toddler’s state and condition clearer, so you know what the next step in their recovery process is. Know that rehabilitation is a long-term process, but you will get there. Stop having sleepless nights and start taking care of yourself so you can take care of your child. Ask for people’s advice, search on the internet every little question that goes through your head and take all the necessary financial measures to assure their recovery.
