Is it bad if my 15-month-old niece falls while playing?

Question

Hello doctor,

My niece is 15 months old and very mischievous. She keeps running around the house the whole day. We have tile flooring in our house, so whenever she falls on the head she gets swelling. We are always vigilant and do not let her out of sight, but still, sometimes she is too quick and will fall. She is 32.28 inches in height. This has become a source of constant anxiety for me. I keep getting worried that she will fall and I am always hovering around her. We have a dog at home so we cannot carpet the floor. My parents say since babies are so short they do not do serious harm when they fall on the floor. You should just be vigilant but let them play. Is this true, or should we buy a helmet or something for her?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

It is normal for children of this age to move around a whole day long. They are very curious about all the new things they can explore, and about all the new things they can do better every day like running, climbing, hopping and much more. They are exploring the world. It would be a problem if your niece would sit or rest somewhere over longer periods. So do not worry about her behavior.

The second, and I think your main issue is that she is falling on the tile floor and sometimes gets hurt. First of all please put ice, packed in a towel on the swelling part of her head. You cannot protect her from falling. May be she is, even more, running around because you are always hovering around. May be she thinks it is a game.

Your parents are right. Usually, babies are not hurt by falling when they are running. A helmet is not a choice. It would not be good for the normal development of the baby. You should take away or cover any potential harmful things in her environment, like sharp sides of tables for example. Furthermore, I would suggest that you try to draw her attention to yourself by playing with a doll, or something else instead of hovering around.

I hope this helps.