To not actually believe this story? Nursery incident

Never underestimate the ability of small children to injure themselves in unexpected ways. DD2 fractured her wrist - falling UP the stairs.

The nursery version of events is completely possible.

My son had an accident at school. Teacher checked his leg and foot very thoroughly and no problem. Had a limp. So thought twisted ankle. Came home was in pain a and e said buckle fracture. As he was walking on it depends what type of fracture it is. My advice would be to ask for further investigation partly for yourself and partly so it doesn't happen again to another child

The parents obviously trust the nursery. This is one of the most important factors when choosing a childcare setting.

Why don't you think it's likely? Do you have reasons for thinking the nursery are lying?

When my daughter was 3 she fractured her leg by slipping on a book. These things happen.

I know someone who fractured their collar bone running into their boyfriend to hug them. And another who broke her ankle merely tripping over. Another who broke his hand by gesticulating enthusiastically and accidentally hitting someone's knee. Totally believable to me.

Oh you'd be surprised.......I remember many years ago a family members child ended up with a spiral fracture to her arm after her mum grabbed her to stop her dropping to the floor. Bloody good job it happened in a shop so the whole thing was on camera as SS were allover it. (( indicator of abuse apparently ))

My DS fractured his collarbone falling over at school, no other kids were involved, lots of witnesses including adults. His friend broke an arm rolling off a table at home. Both accidents.

This is (as a clinician speaking) incorrect. A fracture and a break are the same thing and used interchangeably in the medical field. In fact, when writing medical notes, we don't even use either word most of the time, but instead use # to indicate a fracture, which will then be differentiated by type, etc complete, compound, incomplete, green stick etc etc.

In the case of the OP, it is quite feasible that a child could get a fracture from running into a table, and ED staff should be able to fairly reliably identify any inconsistencies between the injury sustained and the reported mechanism of injury. If the child is at all verbal, the treating/triaging clinicians will also make every effort to interrogate the child themselves on the circumstances to correctly ascertain what happened.

My niece ended up breaking her arm and requiring an operation the next day to put pins in it after rolling down the three foot high completely padded ramp at soft play.

Having spent my career in nurseries and schools, it’s pretty bloody amazing just how many ways kids to injure themselves despite the countless health and safety resources in place. Take the child in my care who tripped on his own feet and ended up having stitches in his forehead after bumping his head onto the edge of one of the units……which had padded rounded protectors on the corners of course, but not the edges….

Editied for my own stupid auto correct

I can’t imagine running and banging her leg into a table would result in a fracture?

She's run into a thin edge at speed. Of course it could result in a fracture.

Imagine the difference between smacking a baguette on a flat worktop and smacking it on the edge.

My DD fractured her elbow by bumping into the wall at school at playtime.
It was an avulsion fracture so not serious, it wasn't in a cast for long

Puggy

I stand corrected and you are right.

You learn something new everyday!

Here's a picture from google of types (which I knew) but they indeed are all called bone fractures.

Hopefully the picture helps someone else learn like I just did!

IME the vast majority of childhood breaks and accidents in general seem to be from these type of random, non-dangerous situations, rather than the climbing the wall scenario etc. It's just the funny way the child falls or turns their leg etc. The two preschooler leg breaks I saw were harmless to the observer, just an unfortunate land of the leg.

OP if it helps hitting something at speed causes damage think a car hitting a tree etc.

then take into account toddler bones, the likelihood it is a free stick fracture rather than shattering and the angle and yes it is entirely possible.

it is also likely it hit the right spot - ever try breaking a stick in two with one movement easy if you hit exactly the right place

My DD did this while running. Fractured it in 2 places and disclocated her elbow.

Both of my children have broken or suspected breaks from very innocuous events- a simple fall or trip can cause toddler fractures so it is possible.

You often assume injuries are caused by something dramatic but so many of my friends have kids who fell awkwardly alongside the ‘they fell off the monkey bars” type injuries.

Are you normally susceptible to conspiracy theories OP?

My nephew aged around 3 at the time broke his leg at soft play, yes SOFT! 😂 He got his leg caught in something and twisted it. So freak accidents do happen.

OP wanted a discussion on how this couldn't possibly have happened and it must have been some kind of mismanagement by the nursery staff.

I believe it's pretty common in toddlers to fracture more easily than adults would, and heal better as well luckily!

My cousin as a child about age 2 fell off a bed and broke her collarbone, my aunt thought she was being dramatic and took her on a horseriding holiday D: When they got back and she was still complaining of pain they took her to the doctor, x-ray showed the break and they felt terrible!

DD broke her nose at nursery as a toddler by running into the gate. She was right next to a member of staff. Just one of those random toddler things.

Is it possible child might have weak bones possibly due to poor diet/celiac/not absorbing nutrients

A fracture is a break. There are different types of fracture. Greenstick/ simple/ spiral/ compound, for example, but there is no difference between a fracture and a break.

Totally possible and quite common for fractures in kids that young to occur from something as simple as a bang or trip. Unless your cousin has other suspicions about nursery I wouldn’t be worrying her and start putting doubt in her head over something that sounds pretty straightforward. She’ll have enough on her plate with a toddler in a cast.