Head injuries in children from plastic hairbeads

Plastic hairbeads are often worn as decorative hair fasteners by children. Serious, penetrating head injuries may result from their use and have been observed in some children following a fall.

The objective of this report is to describe the imaging findings in children who have sustained head injury while wearing plastic hairbeads.

Three children with significant head injuries resulting from embedded hairbeads are described. Three additional cases of minor head injury reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission are summarized.

One child sustained a minimally depressed skull fracture without brain injury. The second child required surgical repair of a depressed skull fracture complicated by a parenchymal hemorrhage and dural tear. A third child required surgical evacuation of an organized, liquefied epidural hematoma 2 weeks after an initial evaluation at an outside emergency room.

Children wearing plastic hairbeads are at risk for severe head injury following a fall. Caution must accompany their use.