If a child suffers facial or neck trauma injuries, then Ear, Nose, and Throat specialists can tell you their parents often seem traumatized, too.

Fortunately, facial and neck injuries happen to kids all the time. Wait, that doesn’t sound very fortunate, let’s try that sentence again. The repair of facial and neck injuries happens all the time, and so your local ENT doctor will know exactly how to help. Because of children’s skeletal flexibility and excess baby fat in kids’ faces, cuts and bruises are the most common types of injury, while more serious fractures to the face and neck are far less common.

Childhood play can result in a number of injuries. Some of these will be the routine childhood cuts and bruises that only require a bandage and a little extra TLC from mom. Some will require treatment by an ENT specialist in your area.

What are the most common cases that require repair of facial and neck injuries?

• Nasal fracture, also known as, a broken nose; broken jaws
• Damaged parotid glands; Stenson’s duct repair surgery
• Cleft lips and Cleft palates
• Cuts to the roof of the mouth or tongue
• Larynx (voice box) injuries; vocal cord paralysis; airway obstruction
• And last, but certainly, definitely not least, the common ear infection. How common? 83% of babies will get an ear infection before their third birthday

We could have put snoring on the list (because ENT specialists hear this complaint all the time), but snoring is totally normal, and not a sign of injury.

What are common ways for the repair of facial and neck injuries?

Broken noses require immediate medical attention. A doctor will need to determine if a septal hematoma has formed, which can lead to infection and cartilage loss. However, because swelling makes it difficult to analyze these injuries right after they occur, an ENT doctor should reexamine your child four to five days after the injury.

If a child suffers injury to their ear, such as a slap, hard bump, or if they play aquatic sports (especially wake boarding style sports), then their ear drum can “tear,” leading to infection. Remember: ear drops are not always the right treatment for ear infections. Always consult an ENT doctor before trying a DIY approach.

Neck injuries should be taken very seriously because of their proximity to your vocal cords, airway, and spine. A serious neck injury may result in breathing difficulties and your doctor ordering an MRI to analyze potential damage. More.