Do you think my son's wrist is broken?

[WilkinsonL]

My son is 11 and is in Year 6. He plays football at lunch.

He fell over and was rolling around on the floor telling his friend to get a teacher. She came over - not a teacher, but the lunch assistant. Told him to get up, he got up and she asked if he was okay now and he said that his wrist was hurting. She said he should go to medical. He goes off to medical with his friend. The lady in medical is the receptionist, but she has done a first aid course. She was touching it and was asking if he could feel her and he said yes, but it was hurting. She said "I think you'll be fine" and he said no but it hurts and can't move it properly, she said that's why happens after an injury and that if he broke it he would be in absolute tears, so she knows it isn't

He was sent to his classroom, his teacher even said it looked a little odd and my son said that he had already been to medical and she said it was fine, so his teacher just left it. I got him at the end of the day and he was okay, gave him some pain relief and seemed alright, he said it was still a bit sore. I suggested to the medical lady (as I went to the office when I got him as his teacher gave me a medical slip, which means there is a recorded accident) that maybe I should get it X-Rayed... She told me to definitely not worry about that and it will just be wasting A and E time and resources as he clearly isn't in distress. I'm not medically trained at all. So I did take her word for it... He has woken up today, with it looking a little bit bruised and not able to properly move it. I was going to take him, but his dad said that I shouldn't worry because school said it was fine. He has been okay today, he has just been watching films, not moving it, but now I'm not sure if I should just go against everyone and take him???

What do you think...? Sorry if I'm coming across a bit stupid, I have never dealt with a broken bone before! He has never even needed to go to a and e.

[nmg85]

I would go get it looked at to be honest. Same thing happened to me when I was 11. X

[Londonmum14]

Agree, get it looked at in a&e

[Watto1]

The only way you will know is by getting it X-rayed. Go to A & E, if only for peace of mind.

[situatedknowledge]

Best have it checked. I waited 5 days with DDs to my eternal shame. Hers wasn't actually broken but had a creased bone, that needed a splint for a few weeks.

[notapizzaeater]

Have you a minor injuries unit ? They can X Ray it. Tbh it doesn't look 'right'

[SnuffleGruntSnorter]

Take him to get it xrayed, see if there's a minor injuries unit near you that's open on the weekend otherwise a&e.

[Smartiepants79]

If he hasn't go full movement I'd get an X-ray. It looks funny to me. I'd take him

[Kungfupandaworksout16]

Mother knows best. I remember one story fondly I went in with a suspected brake , and the doctor was like this is pointless she clearly hasn't broken this. My mother smiled sweetly and said she has. X-Ray came back and he simply glanced and said isn't broke. My mum asked to look held it up to the light and clear as day you could see a crack in my bone. She smiled and asked what's that then? And could she have another doctor.
You know your child best, if you want it checked out go for it , it doesn't look to pretty.

[Jugglingballs65]

I would get it x rayed. You are not wasting their time. It is not easy to see if its borken just from looking... medical lady wax talking rubbish!

[Triliteral]

From that photo, it does look as if the angle is slightly odd, but ot is difficult to tell because of the positioning of the photo. If it is very swollen, still painful and he can't move it properly, I don't think it would be unreasonable to go to A&E for a proper medical opinion.

[NannawifeofBaldr]

Take yourself off to A&E if the child is still in distress.

If it is fractured or broken it needs seen to. Even if it's only a bad sprain it would benefit from proper strapping.

The Doctors won't be annoyed with you at all for getting it checked out.

Take some books etc with you to A&E, waiting to be see is very boring.

[Libitina]

That receptionist needs a kick up the arse!!

Go to a&e, it needs to be medically assessed. I think it's broken, but I'm not an expert.

[TheCrumpettyTree]

He's not moving it just get it checked. At least you'll know.

[CozImQuirky]

My DS fell last year and his wrist looked like that (slightly more lumpy) and it was broken. I'd go and get him checked.

[Tutu1000]

Take him to get it x-rayed and don't worry about what everyone else says. My son broke his arm when he was 5. he fell down the stairs and from the scream he let out I knew he'd done something bad. However when we got to the hospital he had calmed down and was quiet and not moving his hand. The triage nurse we saw said on us walking into the room that he probably hadn't broken it and that they don't x-ray children unless they are fairly sure they've broken something. She examined the wrist and DS2 stayed silent so she was just saying to us that she thought it was just a sprain when she touched a particular spot and he screamed. At that point she agreed he should have an xray, and he did have a fracture. She said she was surprised he had broken a bone as she said most kids with that injury are making a lot more fuss.

We were also told that some children can still move their arm/wrist even if it's broken so just because a kid can move their arm isn't an indicator that noting is broken.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

Ds3 broke the same wrist twice, the first time wasn't obvious and we were surprised to see it broken.

The second time his arm looked like your picture, swan neck fracture [I can't make out the angle of your shot, sorry], he required surgery to correct it, get him seen and checked.

[Iambubbles86]

Ds5 recently broke his arm, there was no pain, and similarly when I broke mine no pain except I couldn't draw properly, it felt weak and floppy. Its surprisingly easy to break arm bones, please go get it checked as if it starts to heal with no support it can cause endless problems

[Fwaffy]

Eek. Definitely looks a little out of alignment. I'd get it xrayed. Is Medical Dept lady actually medically trained? A first aid course doesn't seem like much to go on....

[gamerchick]

I don't have X-ray eyes but there's something clearly wrong with that. Please take him to a&e.

My daughter fractured her wrist when young by doing handstands, as she kept doing handstands I assumed it was ok. A few days later I took her to hospital because it was still hurting where an X-ray showed a fracture. I got the third degree on why I'd left it so long to get looked at. It wasn't comfortable that grilling.

Please take him in.

[Cubtrouble]

That looks broken. I would go to a&e now. Not all breaks have you in floods of tears. The school sound incompetent but you are his mum and you pay taxes in order to have an a&e department for when you need it. In this case absolutely NOT wasting their time.

[RuskBaby]

I broke my arm roller skating many moons ago and I didn't cry so it was left for 3 days until mum realised it didn't look straight, sure enough it was broken.

[KimmySchmidtsSmile]

Having had not one but two broken wrists I would get it x rayed. I would not worry about the time delay because sometimes they do not show up first time. I had a scaphoid fracture x rayed, nothing, 24 hours later re-x rayed and it showed up/ was put into plaster.
The second wrist fracture showed up four weeks later! That was then put into plaster.
The first one I knew something was wrong, it hurt as much as labour and was unremitting. The second one it throbbed on and off but otherwise I wouldn't have known. So either way, I would have it checked over.

[almostthirty]

I am one of the first aiders at my school. If a child came to me with an arm looking like that I would have called home and asked them to take him to a&e to be on the safe side.
I worked at a nursery where a child dislocated her shoulder. She didn't cry and carried on using it to play with until mum picked up. At this point adrenaline wore off and arm started to look odd. Up until then nobody thought she had hurt herself badly as it was a small tumble.
Chn are surprisingly resilient!

[NarpIsNotACunt]

I've also done a first aid course and it's not true that a fracture, in a child, would definitely result in severe pain or lack of movement. The only way to be sure is with an Xray. In the circumstances you describe I would (and have) called his mother and got you to take him to see a GP/A & E.

I'd take him, and then talk to the school to make sure everyone's First Aid training is up to date

[acasualobserver]

I can't make sense of the photo. If that is the wrist, where is your son's hand?