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Original poster

Would I be unreasonable to leave my daughter sleeping even though I think her arm is broken?

167 replies

user1475350703 · 01/10/2016 20:45

Hi my daughter fell off a swing at the park this evening and it hurt she cried for a bit but was then fine. It has swollen a bit and she can't move it properly but she has fallen asleep. Would you wait until tomorrow or wake her up now?

OP posts:
Fishlegs · 01/10/2016 21:21

Op, where is it swollen, and which bit of her arm can't she move?

Does the swollen bit look straight or is it deformed?

happyoldtown · 01/10/2016 21:21

Mine did thymelord. It was a greenstick wrist fracture. I didn't get her looked at for 3 days and I only did then because she said her wrist hurt everytime she pushed her arm through her coat arm. She played and used it normally otherwise.

Humidseptember · 01/10/2016 21:21

when SS ask why you put her to bed with a broken arm, what will you say?

You never know when hospital will involve them though I was in recently and heard lady next door being grilled about similar issue and telling her dh/whoever there would be lots of procedures to go through.

is it swollen badly???

leopardchanges · 01/10/2016 21:21

Someone earlier asked about her head and you didn't answer. If she also hit her head when she fell, I'd definitely take her to be checked out.

If she definitely didn't, then I'd wait until morning - or call NHS direct. There's no harm in checking.

allegretto · 01/10/2016 21:22

I disagree with those saying she wouldn't sleep with a broken arm. My daughter fell off a swing, cried for about 5 minutes and we went home and she went to sleep. I really thought there was nothing wrong. The next day she was holding it funny and she actually had two fractures.

bloodyteenagers · 01/10/2016 21:22

My son btw slept through a broken wrist. It happened on a Saturday and we physically could not get him to hospital. He is a known medical refuser. We phoned the hospital for advice and to alert them that at some point we would be coming.
He went to sleep that night and the following day we convinced him to go.
He had a break that required surgery. The staff were able to move his hand without him in pain. He was able to move it without feeling pain.
Just because there is no pain and the person is sleeping is no indication of a break.

Maybe my family are weird. Scrap that they are. My nan walked around with broken toes for a few weeks because she didn't realize.

GreatFuckability · 01/10/2016 21:22

and i slept fine with my foot. it was fine as long as i wasn't walking on it.

Whooptydoo1 · 01/10/2016 21:23

I agree with pp if she's sleeping comfortably then it's unlikely to be horrendous, fgs pp the op said she's fallen and it might be broken, doesn't mean it is, children are extremely bouncy at this age, if she wakes in the night in pain then take her straight to a&e, if not see how she is in the morning but keep an eye on her over night, these kind of judgement calls can be difficult as a parent, follow your instincts, u know your daughter better than anyone. The thing about SS is bollocks, I hope she sleeps comfortably and it turns out to just be a bad bump

Fleekorunique · 01/10/2016 21:25

I would probably - wait, Elevate it slightly on a pillow, keep checking colour of skin & warmth of fingers, thumb & the whole arm - to the shoulder.

Plus I would be watching how she moves it in the night - with ease & remaing asleep or if she wakes distressed then I would go to A&E.

If she had a good night, I would go to a walk in centre at 8am & see if she needs an xray or sling.

And last but not least, I would prob sleep on the floor in DDs room to monitor & check every couple of hours.

DustyMaiden · 01/10/2016 21:25

cannot sat it would not happen as I know it has.

ageingrunner · 01/10/2016 21:25

When I broke my arm I was 7 or 8. It wasn't particularly painful but all I could do was sleep! I was overcome with exhaustion to the point where I lay down and slept in the snow just outside my house 😳 then woke up, went in and went straight to bed. So her being asleep doesn't necessarily mean it's not broken. There was no damage done by me sleeping in it, although I didn't sleep all night, but was taken to a &e that evening.

validusername · 01/10/2016 21:28

My DD fell and fractured her elbow. Took her straight to minor injuries but their x-ray department was closed. Was told to take her home and come back in the morning. Literally made no difference to her recovery, just kept an eye on her overnight and made sure she had some pain relief.

Original poster
user1475350703 · 01/10/2016 21:29

She didn't hit her head. She jumped off before it stopped moving and fell onto her hands in front of her.

It's swollen around the wrist and the swelling is on her hand too. It's also a bit swollen under her elbow but further down.

OP posts:
EweAreHere · 01/10/2016 21:30

I would take her early in the morning, post-Saturday night drinking rush.

And, fwiw, we have been criticized by A&E for taking a child in with what we honestly thought might be a broken wrist; it wasn't. We were told we should have given it a bit more time to see if it was just 'hurt' before heading in. Swelling doesn't always mean broken ... and even if it is, it might be one of the aforementioned childhood arm fractures that won't be made worse by waiting until morning.

PoshPenny · 01/10/2016 21:32

I would wait till the morning.

I come to this view from a few years ago when my daughter had broken her wrist playing in the garden. Took her to our local MIU they asked me why I thought it was broken (well she keeps saying it hurts, crying and generally making an abnormal fuss). They wouldn't X-ray it, but examined It, said they didn't think it was broken but gave us a splint and told us to come back in a week if it still hurt. So we went back a week later, they reluctantly x rayed and guess what it was broken after all just as we knew it was. My poor daughter had a miserable week.

Marmalade85 · 01/10/2016 21:34

I don't think you could sleep with a broken arm

soundsystem · 01/10/2016 21:34

Don't bother phoning 111, they will ask you to wake her up before they'll talk to you! (I tried calling before for advice and they were adamant that if it was about someone other than myself that person had to be conscious and awake (I guess in case they were really unconscious and I only thought they were asleep?!))

JettyBetty · 01/10/2016 21:34

cannot it would not happen as I know it has.

Then I would strongly suggest you aren't/weren't in possession of all of the facts, or SS felt there was more to it than a non accidental, isolated example of an injury such as this.

PassMeTheFrazzlesPlease · 01/10/2016 21:37

When my son broke his arm, we didn't realise it was broken and didn't take him in until the next day - when he was obviously in pain.

He had to have a general anesthetic because of the type of break it was - there was a risk of nerve damage as well, they kept a really close eye on him to check his circulation.

I was questioned repeatedly and asked why I delayed seeking medical attention for him. The Dr had to contact the safeguarding team before we could go home, to check that they were happy for us to leave. She said that delaying taking a child to be seen can be a sign of a non-accidental injury, so the safeguarding team had to look into it.

I felt AWFUL for not knowing and for not getting him there straight away. I can't believe you can knowingly leave your child asleep when you suspect it is broken.

PrincessHairyMclary · 01/10/2016 21:39

I broke my arm at school "only needed a cold compress" apparently so by the time my parents realized it was hospital worthy it was 8:30pm managed to get an X-ray but fracture clinic wasn't open so just had to go to bed with painkillers and went back the next day to get the cast on.

Just immobilise it the best you can (she'll prob hold it in a comfy position naturally) take her tomorrow morning they wouldn't have done anything tonight.

Lorelei76 · 01/10/2016 21:39

Go now while it's still early
Those saying she'd be in pain, I don't know
When I broke my ankle I felt something jar and knew I couldn't stand on it
It didn't hurt till the next day
Not worth the risk of leaving it imo. If it had been my wrist rather than ankle, I might have just wrapped it in a bandage and that could have been a long term problem there!

yeOldeTrout · 01/10/2016 21:41

Wait until tomorrow -- am veteran of many broken arms, btw. 2 of them weren't even much painful (but boy the other one was). DD broke arm & other DC have had suspected breaks. If asked why I delayed I'd say b/c child was not in huge pain, I was uncertain & I wanted to avoid A&E on a late Saturday evening.

StStrattersOfMN · 01/10/2016 21:42

DD2 broke her toe earlier this week, I was advised to keep an eye on the swelling, and to go straight to A&E if any of her toes/feet felt cold/cooler than the other, or if there was reduced sensation

HPandBaconSandwiches · 01/10/2016 21:43

You should go to a&e.

There are plenty of ways an untreated wrist fracture can lead to permanent disability if it isn't treated appropriately. If you think it's likely her wrist is broken, then wake her up and go.

Utter foolishness to do anything else.

SpeckledyBanana · 01/10/2016 21:44

Cal 111. Wake her if you need to, to answer their questions, then do what they say.

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