jogging infant in stroller cause brain injury? PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

[nic34]

OK so i took out my 4 week son in his stroller on a nice sunny day and decided i should run/jog a little to slowly start getting my body back into shape. but i was soo stupid since i didnt realize that u shouldnt run with regular stroller - mines is not a jogging stroller so it does not have the shock support! i always cover the stroller with a blanket so that the sun doesnt hit is face (so i cannot see inside the stroller this way). anyway i started running,ran about 1-2 blocks ( a good 2-3minutes). i opened the blanket to check on him while running and was shocked to see that his head was snapping from side to side! his neck seemed quite secure but the actual head was sort of snapping from left to right like a mild whiplash. i immediately stopped and picked him up. he was awake the whole time and didnt cry even as his head was jerking.

I am SOO scared though because it lasted such a long time before i had realized what happened (2-3 minutes of head shaking seems like a long time to me). this happened on friday morning. he seemed totally fine afterwards but i took him to the walkin on saturday. the doc checked him and said he seemed totally fine to her but to just keep an eye for any new symptoms.

now my question is. its now tuesday morning so does that mean we should be in the clear? if he did have some sort of brain injury/bleed would it show up right away?
yesterday and today he had a really sleepy day for the first time and slept almost all day just waking up to eat, however, the short times that he was awake he is alert, smiling and cooing. he usually eats at the breast for 10mins but has been eating for about 7mins these last two days.. im not sure if im looking too much into this but does this mean decreased appetite? is this sleepiness a growth spurt (he will be 6 weeks on friday) or could this be linked to head injury?

does anyone else have any experiences they could share with brain injury scares or anyone with medical background who could assure me that he is okay considering its already been a few days since it happened? are infants heads really that fragile to easily cause damage?

when exactly can i be sure we are in the clear? i just feel soo soooo stupid and can't stop crying. i just want my boy to be okay!! PLEASE HELP~

 

[Googiepie]

I don't have any experience but I didn't want to read and run. I think I would be more worried if he didn't want to eat at all. It could be a growth spurt, I know my LO ate less when she was going through one. The fact that he's alert, smiling, etc is a good sign that he's okay. My daughter rolled off my bed a few months ago, the nurse told me that I should be looking out for vomiting (not spit up) like excessively, if the pupils are dilated, crying unconsolably. I'm sure he is just fine. You took him to get looked at and doctor wasn't concerned, I think you're in the clear. Sorry, I don't have much experience but hope that helps a little.

 

[nic34]

thank you for replyig! if this sleepiness didnt happen yesterday i would not be concnered at all...im just hoping its a coincidence.. the stroller event happened on friday and the sleepiness began on monday . do you think this is spaced enough apart to not be related?

 

[Googiepie]

I really don't think it's related. The sleepiness would have been right away, or at least within 24 hours of the incident. I think you would have noticed clear signs that something is wrong. Babies communicate through crying or at least I think so. I think if there was any damage especially serious damage that your LO would be crying inconsolably, it would alert you but you say he's content and cooing. Personally, I think he is just fine if you're still unsure and concerned, you can take him to a paediatrician. Trust me, I know what it's like to worry when they bump their heads or anything like that.

 

[jenmcn1]

I don't think you have anything to worry about. It's good you stopped jogging when you realized, and took him to the doctor. If you're concerned still, take him back to the ER for an assessment. Hang in there mama...although it's not good for a baby that young to be in a jogging stroller, just remember that babies are pretty resilient! If it make you feel better my 5 yr old fell on my youngest (7 weeks old at the time)...and fell on his head literally. All 38 lbs of his body. Freaked me out...but he's fine hugs!

 

[MommyJogger]

It sounds like your LO is fine. That must have been really scary for you.

Just for a review of average jogging stroller guidelines so they're available at a glance:
1) Walking in a jogging stroller (without carseat attachment): 4mo (good head control), because most don't come with any kind of contraption to help keep head in place and body upright. If you have one that completely reclines, they could go in it earlier, but be aware of the increased likelihood of joggers tipping backward when reclined.
2) Jogging in a jogging stroller on smooth terrain (road, sidewalk, rail-trail, most gravel): 6mo (crawling)
3) Brisk pace (walk or jog) on very bumpy terrain: 1 yr (excellent neck and core control/walking)
4) Some of the bike trailer/jogger combos have much more stringent guidelines because of construction issues, even when used as jogging strollers.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Eeek well ive never heard this and we live on a gravel track so I've done this with a newborn!

 

[MommyJogger]

Eeek well ive never heard this and we live on a gravel track so I've done this with a newborn!

Those are just roughly most common. When in doubt, people can check their stroller's manual. Depending on accessories and construction, it can really vary from brand to brand and sometimes from model to model within the same brand. There are also clearly some brands with better construction that lean very far in the conservative direction out of litigation concerns. I've used a ton of different ones because the running club has a lot of moms and we've done swaps to try each other's out. Just watching how well a baby sits in the seat(s) of each and how well the shock system works, it's clear that even joggers with the same guidelines are not all created equal. Looks like all of yours have turned out well regardless.

 

[MrsPear]

I think you're in the clear! Think how many people have needed to run with a stroller. For the bus, to catch up with a toddler, because they were late for an appointment, because the baby was crying and they need to get home and make a bottle up...I think you're probably over thinking the risks. I'm sure there is a tiny risk, but I'm also sure that plenty others have done some running in similar circumstances and most wouldn't have thought twice. Think your baby is absolutely fine xx

 

[steph.]

I think your baby is fine too. I imagine the risk from what you describe would be tiny. To cause brain damage like in shaken baby syndrome, they have to be shaken with force. This documentary is really interesting and may put things in a little perspective (and also lets you know the signs+ symptoms) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-JBvjoro0Y

 

[_Meep_]

Oh dear, I went through almost exactly the same thing, after I tried to jiggle my baby to sleep (she seems to like it!) - she was upright with her head wiggling, but it was supported the whole time at the back by my fingers, and I was just sort of vibrating her if that makes sense lol. However, I noticed she went a bit cross-eyed as I was doing it and I then started worrying maybe I'd been too vigorous, stupidly decided to Google 'shaken baby syndrome' and of course freaked myself out to the extreme!

For days I sat around crying, checking her fontanelle for swelling, monitoring her every move. She projectile-spat her whole feed one night, and although she'd done it before on more than one occasion, I was convinced she had vomited. She also had a sleepy day where she didn't feed as much, and like you, I was so scared.

That was nearly four weeks ago now and I'm over it. She's fine and I'm sure your baby is too. I know there is all that stuff out there about 'mild' symptoms being hard to diagnose correctly, and the real cause only being detected years later when the child starts school (why are they brain-scanning school-age children?), but honestly, I think this is probably incredibly rare. Most cases of brain injury from shaking are severe, because the act is deliberate and violent - and that's why they are reported with such force in the media - because they are rare, aggressive and shocking, not accidental acts by parents who made a simple mistake.

I watched a lot of Youtube videos demonstrating with a doll simulator how you would have to shake a child to cause a serious injury. It's not nice, and I wouldn't advise watching any if you think it might scare you, but you really have to use some force. It's a violent forward and backward motion (not actually possible in a stroller with the head supported at the back) combined with side to side uncontrollable twisting that causes brain injury in babies.

Think of women in the jungle running from predators with babies on their backs for thousands of years ... we probably wouldn't be here now if that caused horrible brain damage. In fact, if it were so easy to hurt a baby by mistake, there would be a lot more dead or damaged children out there. I think your son is fine, especially if he's alert, happy and responsive.

Totally get why you are worried though. My daughter still has random sleepy days by the way!

 

[Literati_Love]

I agree that it sounds like your baby is TOTALLY fine! Try not to worry. You got your baby checked at the doctor and there haven't been any signs so far. I think you are totally in the clear! Hugs!

 

[nic34]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! im really glad to hear that your baby is okay! it's just scary and easy to start looking into everything as a "symptom"- i guess because the doc said to watch for any new symptoms so you just start becoming paranoid. did you ever have your baby checked out by a GP ?
mine also started spitting up some after feedings but im also hoping this is just normal (its hard for me to tell if its vomit or spit up because there's been times where its quite a bit and not just spit) and has nothing to do with it. he also has some feedings where he is getting extremely fussy at the breast. pulls off cries and goes back. anyone know if this is normal infant behaviour?

its now been exactly week with the things ive notices being sleepiness, some spitting up after meals, some fussiness at the breast... so im hoping im in the clear?

 

[_Meep_]

I didn't take mine to see the GP. She has since, however, had her 6 week check with both a GP and a health visitor and both said she was absolutely healthy.

Know exactly what you mean by looking at everything as a 'symptom'! Everything you describe, though, is perfectly normal baby behaviour. They ALL fuss, spit up and sleep lots. One thing I've found in the eight weeks I've been a mum is that you literally have a different baby every week - even though he wasn't as sleepy before, it doesn't mean that him being sleepy now is for any sinister reason. They change so fast, and just when you think you're getting used to their new behaviour, it changes again! It's easy to start worrying, I know.

He could be experiencing a growth spurt, though. Babies generally have two between 2 - 8 weeks. My daughter's now been through both, and during the couple of days before and after the spurt she did nothing but sleep.

She also fusses at the breast often - sometimes it's because I have a forceful let down which she HATES - does your milk spray or drip very fast when he pulls off the breast? Other times I've learned it's because she wants to comfort suck and she gets very upset when she then receives a mouthful of milk! If your son is getting upset during let down especially, it could be for either of these reasons. Rest assured it is TOTALLY normal infant behaviour.

Vomit in babies tends to come out forcefully and cause them to be distressed. Spit-up doesn't bother them at all and usually dribbles out or squirts a couple of inches rather than across the room.

Honestly I think you're fine. Your baby is going to keep surprising you with new weird and wonderful behaviours and if you keep worrying it's because of this one incident then you'll never be able to relax and enjoy him. I'm sure an injury would have presented itself by now. Easier said than done I know (am the world's worst worrier) but try to forgive yourself.

You obviously adore your baby.