Rebecca Jordan/FacebookA mum has taken to social media to warn other parents about the dangers of kids spending too long on park swings.
Concerned mum Rebecca Jordan had to take her son to A&E after he spun around too quickly on a playground swing, the force of which, she says, caused him serious injuries.
The high speed of spinning on the swing had forced all the blood in the boy’s head to the back of his skull, reportedly making doctors and nurses think his head had been ‘spray painted red’, while also bursting blood vessels in his eyes, in injuries like they’d never seen before.
Rebecca Jordan/FacebookRebecca shared the story on Facebook, saying: ‘Just so parents are aware of what could happen when your child spins way too fast for way too long on a swing with their head leaned back/hanging off.’
The post explained:
Our son loves to spin around, hes a bit of a thrill seeker (you know how boys can be). Yesterday he was playing with a group of other kids outside running around the yard and on the playground equipment. He got on the swing and told the other kids to spin him around…
As he spun faster and faster with his head back, the centrifugal force/pressure forced blood to rush to the top of his head causing blood to immediate pool/bruise, (which looked like his head was spray painted or burned). Plus the blood vessels in his eyes and eye lids burst from the extreme pressure.
They stopped him and as he got off the swing he collapsed (possible passed out for a few minutes). Several kids came inside with him to tell us what happened and he said he had trouble breathing and his “brain hurt”.
Rebecca was understandably concerned about a possible brain injury, so rushed her son to hospital where doctors examined him and gave the boy a CT scan. His injuries were reportedly similar to those which occur in shaken baby syndrome.
Rebecca Jordan/FacebookThe post continued:
Keep in mind he never actually hit his head, this was only from the centrifugal force pulling while spinning on the swing. (Similar traumatic brain injuries occur from shaking baby syndrome).
The doctors and nurses were puzzled and thought he spray painted his head because they have not seen this type of presentation of blood bruising before. They were very quick to examine his head, eyes and inner ears and sent him for a C.T.
Praise God it came back normal, no internal injuries or brain swelling. But seriously, we will be very cautious about spinning excessively from now on.
**Just so parents are aware of what could happen when your child spins way too fast for way too long on a swing with…
Posted by Rebecca Jordan on Thursday, May 30, 2019
Thankfully, her son didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries, though Rebecca’s post is a warning to other parents out there, as she added: ‘let your kids have fun and be kids, but be safe and know there are even limitations to playing in order to keep them safe.’
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.