To not actually believe this story? Nursery incident

One of mine (many, many years ago) stepped awkwardly off a sofa and gave himself an extremely unusual spiral fracture to the arm - the sort associated with abuse. Strange things do happen. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I know a GP who didn't realise for at least 24 hours that his toddler had broken his leg. But again OP, nothing to do with you.

I didn’t call an ambulance for my daughter when she broke her leg either, I took her to A&E. In fact I only took her about 4 hours after she did it, because I thought she’d walk it off and be fine. It’s so hard to tell with children. Also I’m sure at 3 she’d prefer to be with her mum than in the back of an ambulance.

My son stepped off a log and broke his leg so I believe it.

My cousin broke her arm doing a backwards walkover.

She didn't even fall. Just literally did it and then was screaming in pain.

Some of us stayed with her (in the middle of a random field 😂) while other went to get adults. They were telling her not to be so dramatic she hadn't even fallen over.

But it's was a complete break.

And yet I was thrown from a horse and lands on one arm. Suspected broken collarbone and elbow. Nope - just (a lot!) of swelling and bruising. I was actually quite disappointed after such a dramatic event 😂😂😂 (I was peak teen drama stage)

I remember being called as first aider at school to a child who apparently was stood fairly still and dropped to sitting on the floor. He said his foot hurt. I'd been told on the quiet beforehand they thought he may be playing on it as there was no obvious reason it should.

I went over and checked him over. I said I wanted an ambulance as concerned he'd broken his leg. Also to call parents.

Everyone thought I'd drunk the kool aid.

His leg was broken in 2 places!

There was the tiniest dip in the grass and just his foot twisting into it whilst stood fairly motionless was enough.

It does happen.

It’s weird to disbelieve it.

My DD15 banged her arm on a half pipe- she wasn't resting or anything, not much more than a knock. Serious spiral fracture that nearly paralysed a nerve, so yes, it can happen!

An i pact and awkward fall could do it

I'd forgotten about green stick fractures. There were lots around when children were allowed to play out more. I agree that the doctor would write a report on if the explanation was plausible. It will have to be officially noted by the nursery, statements taken etc.

You're welcome 😄 to be honest I have this irrational irritation about it because I once worked with someone who thought "fracture" meant hairline fracture, and "broken" meant something much worse, and she absolutely snarled at me "it's not broken, it's only fractured" when I half-jokingly asked if the doctor she had seen at A&E was a real doctor, and if he had understood the physical nature of her job when he said she was fine to keep working with a broken ... let's say leg for reasons of not outing myself 😬

(Turns out it was a lie anyway because she was blaming another colleague for her injury and was trying to make her feel guilty by pretending the injury was worse than it was and I was annoying her by asking too many questions and now if anyone on here worked in the same place they know who I am, or the bullying colleague is because it was an absolute classic of hers 😂)

My friends dd broke her foot jumping off the second to last step on my stairs.

Mine did as well. Bones are softer at that age.

The strength of the human body at running speed is quite astonishing. Imagine an adult running as fast as they could and hitting a hard object. A fracture wouldn't seem unlikely at all. It's like a sports injury. Which is the most common reason for fractures in people under 50 apart from RTA/ fall from height.
So I'd totally believe it.

My 1 year old daughter caused a buckle fracture on her tibia tripping over while she was learning to walk. Her dad and I witnessed it and neither of us got up straight away as it looked like such an innocent fall, her cry told us that something wasn't right though. I never would have believed it if I didn't see it myself.
So yes it's possible.

My DS broke his leg at nursery. Staff weren't sure what had happened. Dr at A&E reassured me it was easily done at that age and no need for me to be concerned about the nursery's care

It's not the OP's child it's her cousin's. So it's not her business,

A friends reception-aged child broke his wrist and the heel of his foot falling off a very low piece of equipment at school. Literally 18 inches high. These things happen.

My DD had the most horrific broken arm from running into a fence.

My niece broke her leg just running around the house with her brother.

Toddler's bones are much softer and bendier than adults' bones. It would be perfectly possible for a toddler to get a 'green stick' type fracture, where the bone bends and partially breaks like when you try to snap a fresh stick in half, by falling, tripping or running into something.

I would also add that hospitals are typically very vigilant about broken bones in small children (my brother and his wife got asked A LOT of questions when my niece broke her leg) and there's no way the staff in A&E would have accepted the explanation if it wasn't completely plausible.

My then 3 year old got a really bad break from a very low fall, I saw it happen. He wouldn't stop screaming so we took him straight to hospital, thought he might have a green stick fracture at most. never expected a really bad break and multiple weeks in hosptisl. Hospital was worried something else was going on like brittle bones to get such a bad break from such a small fall, but there wasnt any reason for it. Sometimes you just get unlucky with the way they fall or exactly where the force hits. So yes I think their explanation is believable. One slight silver lining at this age breaks heal very well.

I missed one step on some stairs once and stumbled. Ended up with spiral fractures to the tibia and fibula. In casts and boots for nine months, it happens!

My friend's toddler tripped on the carpeted living room floor and broke his leg.