Ds 15 months can't put weight on his ankle

[TheBabyAteMyBrain]

Ds toppled while walking earlier, he's only been walking a month or so and is still rather unsteady and zombie like. Heard a small crunch noise as he went down, looked like he went awkwardly over his toes/ankle.

Lots of tears, wouldn't let us touch, long time to calm him down. Given pain meds, cool compress, warm bath, lots of cuddles. Called 111 as although he will now let us touch it, hold it, move the foot and toes, apply firm pressure, he screams if he tries to put weight on it. No discolouration or swelling, although swelling is hard to tell as he's lovely and pudgy. I'm waiting for a call back about pain management from a clinician, I imagine it'll be a while for obvious reasons. He's asleep now quite happily.

Im now sat here worrying that he's done some crazy damage, but from what I know it's not easy for a baby to break bones and from just toppling down it can't possibly have done that much damage, could he? and he's fine when sat, crawling, feeding... If he had done something serious it would surely hurt all the time.

Poor lad, he kept trying to get up to walk or push his push along, even through tears and screams. He doesn't understand.

Generally, a little one who is avoiding using a limb will need an X-ray.

My son had a minor fracture (took 3 visits back for someone to spot it) from a very innocuous trip over a toy when he was about 18 months old. He couldn't put any weight on it either. A nurse told me he had to put weight on it or it wouldn't get better , as if an 18 month old would be putting it on... I went with my gut instinct and took him back for a second opinion and a specialist finally spotted the tiny fracture. Give it a few days and see how he is. They heal quickly at that age whatever. My son seemed to instinctively know he shouldn't put weight on it so it was no problem - he used to just drag himself around until he could weight bear with no pain again!

It does sound like he needs an X-Ray.

My dd had a broken leg - the clue was she wouldn’t put weight on it. She healed in three weeks though! (12 months old)

Hopefully the clinician will call soon. My poor baby

He just toppled, like he does a million times a day! The boy is a mountain goat and forever trying to scale anything remotely dangerous, I still can't believe he's hurt himself so much from sitting down suddenly. Do they put casts on babies if it's broken?

If he had done something serious it would surely hurt all the time.

Broken leg for us and dc would only cry when weight bearing or during nappy change when leg would be moved.

Needs to be seen and probably x-rayed. "Toddler fractures" can happen from seemingly completely innocuous falls.

I am a radiographer and this sounds very much like 'toddlers fracture'.

Most common in the first few weeks of walking. It doesnt need a great deal of trauma to cause it. There is often very little swelling or no obvious injury.

Does it need an x-ray.... yes. Id avoid a major trauma hospital or local A&E and try and find a much quieter minor injuries unit in the morning. Given the current situation you will likely have to call ahead.

Toddlers heal really quickly so probably a few weeks in a cast or non weightbearing will do the trick. You may find the child naturally reverts.to crawling for a few weeks anyway.

Best of luck x

I had a 13 mth who wouldn't put weight on her leg, but wasn't walking so wasn't obvious straight away. Took her to hospital thinking they would tell me it was nothing but turned out to be a hairline fracture and was in a cast for 6 weeks

It sounds broken . Sorry. It does need to be seen.

R.e a cast - not always. Depends how displaced the fracture is and whether you can manage the pain with calpol/nurofen ect. Some children find them very distressing.

If the child does revert to crawling they they are technically immobilising themselves.... but each hospital may have their own rules on how they manage toddler fractures... and some may always cast,others may not always.

They put a cast on my son’s leg but it fell off and they didn’t bother replacing it it. It wasn’t necessary for the healing process.

Thank you everyone, I'll make sure he gets seen tomorrow. It might take some convincing for dh though, he just pooh pooed my concerns about it being a fracture. Hopefully I'll get that 111 call back before too long, it's been 4 hours now but obviously we are in crazy times and I fully appreciate we are nowhere near the urgent list.

If I don't hear back do I just call a minor injuries in the morning to book? Really not comfortable going anywhere we have to sit and wait, hoping it would be in for appointment and straight off out again as far as possible...and hopefully wait in the car over a waiting room with a crawling baby 😬

My then 18 month old DS broke his ankle falling off a chair. Not crying and still running around but falling over a lot. Took him to a&e and was in cast for 4 weeks.

Hope 111 call back but I’d def get him seen soon.

Phoning the minor injuries unit to book ahead sounds perfect. I hope you all get some sleep tonight

My middle child broke his wrist when he fell at 14 months old.
He wasn't walking yet.

He had a cast.

If you heard a crunch then it sounds likely.
Hope you're ok!

Oh poor lamb 😔, I have a 15 month old boy as well so can imagine exactly how it happened, they don't stay still for long! I hope you yet seen quickly in the morning and he makes a swift recovery 😊

How is he op?

Hey all, thanks again for your help and insight last night. We took him to minor injuries this morning and they think a sprain over a fracture. We've been told to keep up with the pain meds and let him find his own way of crawling/shuffling about.

He did manage to put weight on it this morning but was visibly limping and couldn't walk without a hand or aid. He's really not the kind of child who will revert back to crawling unless he actually looses a foot.

If no improvement in a few days we'll have to go to the local hospital for an xray. Hopefully it won't come to that.

111 did ring back around 1am this morning, I felt rather sorry for the clinician as she sounded thoroughly worn out and fed up.

Go get him x rayed! Minor injuries can’t see inside his leg and going off his behaviour is not a measurement of what’s going on inside. Children adapt and try and keep cracking on so him trying to move around doesn’t mean much.

This morning he was crawling or walking with support, I wrote the above post while he was napping. Since then he's woken up and is pooltling around the garden. He's not cried in pain or shown any big discomfort.

I appreciate the Dr cannot see inside his leg but she did a good examination of his whole lower half and he showed no pain or discomfort throughout. He didn't pull away, get upset or shout. I'm happy with the advice given and if he does show differences in walking, movement or pain I'll take him in to be xrayed.

@purpleclown...

You realise that the vast majority of minor injuries units have xrays.......

@Charis1503

You do realise that I read the OPs post where she said they’d have to go to the local hospital for X-rays......

OP, glad he’s moving around more! It’s so hard when they are little and get tell you exactly how they’re feeling!

Sorry I should have clarified, the minor injuries has x-ray facilities which we could have had access to if needed, but the Dr said if one is needed in the next couple of days it's better to go to the local hospital which is larger and better equipped in that department for young children.

It is definitely hard at this age, I spent the afternoon with my eyes glued to his feet making sure he's doing okay. He was walking more on his heel with his toes up which was affecting his balance but that seemed to have relaxed a little bit as the evening went on.

Thank you again to everyone.

An update if anyone is interested, all is well, ds started walking normally by the weekend. He's back into mischief and turning my hair grey.