Should I worry after my son fell into stagnant water?

[Ljh1014]

Yesterday we were at at country park with some friends and my SW11 and two friends with their same age boys. This country park has streams and waterways lots of ducks/swans. No swimming but seen kids paddling etc. My DS and friends go paddling in clearish water less than knee high in a stream/pond that used to flow but in his heat has dried up. Being silly they went deeper until lost their footing and fell. My DS went up to his shoulders the others went fully under v murky brown water. My DS face got splashed from their submerge. Took them a good 20mins to get out due to mud etc but they did and I wiped DS down with some baby wipes but it was another 2hours til he got home and showered off. I blame myself for even letting him paddle. My husband has been so rightly cross with me about stagnant water diseases etc I just feel sick to my stomach. My DS had some scratches too so now I'm looking into all sorts of horrible nasty diseases and panicking. What can I do? Should I take him to hospital? I know I'm looking at upset stomach, infected scratches but what else? I get a bit spiralling at things like this and haven't slept or eaten since yesterday lunchtime out of stress and worry.

CONTEXT UKHSA officials stressed to Metro.co.uk that the organism is, however, ‘very rare’ 🙄

I would just put germolene on the cuts and keep an eye on him. The chances are very high that he will be absolutely fine. No need to seek medical help unless he becomes unwell.

You need to stop reading and stop spiralling. Amoebas can even be found in tap water, which is still safe for washing your face in. What you shouldn't do is bathe / rinse out an eye with tap water that hasn't been boiled first.

Contact lens wearers know this since we get lectured about not wearing contacts in the shower or to swim.

Perspective needed.

This it carried by rats so wouldn't go in local canal

It's rare in UK and has very obvious symptoms.

I think there also something linked to beavers and drinking water - but again don't think that would be an issue in UK as much.

I agree with PP sounds like a dangerous place to go into water shallow to deep very qucikly - perhaps brush up on water safety. We used to live near brick ponds - absoutely deadly every couple of years it took usually male teen or man in his life despite all the signs up. My DC had it drummed into them they were deadly - so are very wary about saftey and water.

" But as temperatures rise in Britain amid climate change, it could soon become a worry, according to a microbiologist."

MIGHT BE A WORRY - Not IS

You don’t want your child to be the one. As I said above, fifty years later, I still miss my friend.

And the organism is very rare in the UK because it’s highly unlikely that anyone or any local government is funding going out and testing in a regular programme during drought and heatwave conditions. Public swimming pools, yes. Random waterholes, no.

Anything not tested for is ‘very rare’.

Because he may have ingested or inhaled bacteria or micro-organisms! These can also be absorbed through the skin so anything lurking unseen under finger nails or toe nails can cause illness in time. But you do you MrsMitford3 🙄

OP, you seem to be the one needing medical reassurance here. You are overreacting to normal kid adventuring when out and about, and your kid will pick up on your hyper anxiety now. He is 11, soon 12 and will be up to all sorts of things when you're not looking, it's what they do!, You can't be with them 100% of the time.

He will be absolutely fine, young kids are able to withstand lots of bugs and things. It might be different if the child had an underlying illness or something, but it looks like he doesn't.

Don't let your worries affect the child. He is a kid, a boy, don't turn him into a petal afraid to move or do anything. That's how they learn.

Goodness no to hospital, why would you want to sit there for hours, hot, grumpy child just to be told to go home? It's neither an accident nor an emergency.

Just keep an eye on him. If gets an infection, take him to the GP for antibiotics. I can't tell you the amount of ponds, mud and whatever I've fallen into as a kid and nothing happened - just an equally amused and cross mum coming home in that state.

Without actual symptoms or a sign of infection, no medical help is needed or can be given. Once something shows up a GP - yes a GP not A&E, will sort it out, be it a course of antibiotics.

A&E does not look for 'what if's', they deal with accidents and emergencies, falling into mucky muck is neither of these things.

😒

Many years ago I went to a local park. I was feeding a squirrel on a bridge and got scratched by the animal, drawing blood, as it grabbed a nut. As I left the bridge my daft dog decided to paddle in the river (non moving water, also a bit stagnant) and she went completely under as we didn't realise it was deep there. I automatically thrust my hand in to grab her collar and pull her out (was the scratched hand). As I had an animal wound and had put my hand in stagnant water, I checked in with the GP who had me go in for a tetanus injection as I wasn't up to date. I would only be worried if your DS had any open wounds or if he ingested any as stagnant water can harbour legionella (legionnaires disease). Give your GP a call if you're anxious and see what they suggest.

It started out clear and shallow. They're was a deep pocket where they fell. The rest of the area was knee height for my son, thigh height for other boys. Not holding hands but following leader my son was last and fell over 2nd boy. He is also much taller than them. We literally watched the whole thing from the bank they were never out one of our parents eyesight. It was stupid looking back could have been anything under the water but like I said it was just paddling yes water got browner as got to knee depth but was clearish where they entered. It was just meant to be a paddle about. Photo of where they entered.

You would be horrified if you knew what I used to do as kid!

Chances are he will be fine.

I know the worry you mean I’ve had it multiple times about different situations, luckily though so far things usually turn out fine, time moves on and it’s just a memory, if I was you I’d have told him to have a shower when he got home and carry on as normal x have something to eat an stop beating yourself up xx

Weills disease can present like flu that keeps recurring. Extremely unlikely to have caught it though (contact with a rat nest/latrine needed really).
Your husband doesn't sound very nice, critical naggers suck all the joy out of life.

JMJ, you should not worry. This is next level helicopter-stress-parenting which will have a worse impact on him than a bit of mud. He will be absolutely fine. Frankly, it’s really good for an 11 year old boy to play and get mucky like this. I say this as the mother of an 11 yr old with a tendency to overthink and panic - but you seriously need to chill. He will be fine.

Yes I remember people going in this kind of water looking for tadpoles! x

DH as a student tried to help a squirrel that got stuck on his student room ledge - opened window squirrel went upstairs not down anyway in resulting farce he got scratched up and seen by a GP who gave tetanus injection as well.

I'd have dusted my kids off put some germaline or antisecptic cream on any cuts and kept a close eye on them for next few days - any concerns then I'd have sought medical advice.

If your really worried local pharmastsis or 111 - but with no current sympoms I expect they'll just tell you want to keep an eye out for in unlikely event they picked up something - most of which the NHS links do.

Guardia? Weils disease? That sort of thing? Only if you consume the water, your kid will be fine, I’m sure @Ljh1014

He did get a full splash to face but didn't submerge. Assume he closed his eyes and mouth but he couldn't say for certain but water would have then been on his face for a while about 20mins. Yes worried about everything. Have super bad anxiety with illness/health/hospitals and honestly wasn't truly aware of anything before hand just wiped his hands and face after they got out. Showered at home and savlon but that was hours after

I genuinely don't understand the fear. He 'may' have ingested bacteria or micro-organisms, but surely you could do that in lots of day to day situations with pets, gardening, on buses, in shops, touching toilet doors etc. Presumably you aren't rushing off to hospital regularly. Unless he has any symptoms of illness, what would you expect medics to do, what would they be treating if there is nothing wrong?

That will be fine, try not to worry love.

People are winding you up. Ignore this especially.

I understand your worries and would also be concerned in your shoes, but you have to remember that severe illness from falling in stagnant water is not common. Your son did not swallow the water and have made sure that he has cleaned thoroughly. Skin is designed to protect us so falling in and splashes to his face will not cause a problem.

This is not to say to not worry at all. You need to keep it in proportion.

If he swallowed the water he may get a tummy ache and diarrhoea but it doesn't sound like he did. I would mainly keep an eye on any fresh cuts in case of infection. If any become red, inflamed, or hot, then he may need antibiotics, but he will likely be fine unless he actually has open wounds (and if he had open wounds I am sure that you would not have let him play in a riverbed in the first place 🙂).

You are a concerned mother and you are okay to worry about your son. Just don't let the worry become overbearing and stress you out.

I can’t believe this is real??

He’s had a shower- you definitely do not need to take him to hospital. I would consider this situation really very low risk and I wouldn’t worry. I thought you were going to say he nearly drowned!!!!!
A tummy bug is really not serious. Even if he gets one. Which is unlikely from a splash.

Please stop worrying. It is very unlikely that anything bad will happen. He only got splashed with some muddy water!

Huge numbers of people in the UK open water swim in lakes and ponds. I swam myself earlier in the week - in an old quarry, alongside ducks and who knows what else. (It’s a managed swimming spot with paid entry and lifeguards, before anyone berates me for swimming in an old quarry!)