Paying for your own college tuition can be hard. A 2022 report shows that 64% of students pay for their own college tuition, but not everyone can afford it. This young woman had help from her sister, who agreed to fund her education. But that stopped after one unfortunate accident.

The mother recently asked netizens whether she was overreacting by withdrawing college funds and kicking her sister out after she caused her toddler’s concussion. She sparked a heated debate among commenters: was it just an accident or was the sister being too irresponsible and deserved her punishment?

A mother went livid after her younger sister injured her toddler while babysitting him

Image credits: Helena Lopes (not the actual photo)

She decided to withdraw her financial support for her sister, prompting heated reactions from family members

Image credits: Helena Lopes (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Meg Aghamyan (not the actual photo)

The mother clarified what kind of arrangement she had with her sister and that she and her husband do discipline their son

Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)

Image source: anon

The most common cause of a concussion in toddlers is falls

Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)

It’s scary for parents to see their toddler injured. Even though children fall down and get bumps and bruises more often than adults do, something as significant as a concussion can really scare a parent.

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Concussions aren’t at all common in toddlers. According to the CDC, only 3.9% of children have received a diagnosis of a concussion at least once in their lives. Only 1.0% of those children are ages 0-5 years.

However, children aged 0-4 and 15-19 are the two age groups at the greatest risk of a brain injury. If we were to put the percentages in numbers, an average of 62,000 children from 0 to 19 years old sustain brain injuries requiring hospitalization. And a whopping 564,000 visit the hospital emergency department and, luckily, get released.

The most common reasons why children sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are motor vehicle crashes, falls, sports injuries, physical abuse, and others. For toddlers aged 0-4, the most common reason for a brain injury is a fall. As the Brain Injury Association of America reports, every year around 1,300 children in America experience severe or fatal brain trauma from child abuse.

A toddler’s head is still large compared to their body, so, they’re top-heavy. That’s why, if they lose their balance, they most often fall headfirst. However, any activity where a toddler hits their body or head hard enough can cause a concussion.

Concussions are mild brain injuries, but parents should still seek medical attention just in case

Image credits: Thgusstavo Santana (not the actual photo)

Doctors consider concussions to be mild brain injuries. They disrupt the way the brain functions but don’t do any structural damage to the brain. According to the Children’s Hospital Colorado, any child under two years old (and the OP’s son, at 22 months, falls into this category) should have their scalp checked after any kind of bump on the head since their skulls are still soft.

If the toddler gets a bump on other parts of their head, there might be no need to seek medical attention. Like the forehead, for example, as Julie Wilson, MD, pediatric sports medicine physician and co-director of the Concussion Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado explains. “Generally, the forehead is pretty resilient for children ages 2 and older. But other parts — our temples, behind our ears, the nose, cheekbones — are a bit more fragile.”

Some less noticeable signs that a toddler or a baby has a concussion might be inconsolable crying, not eating, drowsiness, unusual behavior, or a brief loss of consciousness. More serious symptoms include vomiting or nausea, slurred speech, if one pupil is bigger than the other, and convulsions or seizures.

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Dr. Wilson says that parents should always trust their instincts: if they think the child needs medical attention, they should seek it. “Often parents know if there’s something really wrong with their child,” she believes. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially where a toddler’s health is concerned.

The woman sparked quite a debate; some believed that all of this was the younger sister’s fault

Others saw more nuance in the story: the sister was irresponsible, but it still was an accident

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But some netizens blamed the mother: “Please get your kid under control”

And, finally, others saw no point in blaming anyone: “Accidents happen. You don’t bail on family”

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