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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:
GingerbreadLatteToGo · 01/10/2016 23:34

I hope you both get some sleep & that's she's fine in the morning 💐

callmeadoctor · 01/10/2016 23:36

Erhmm, isn't a fracture the same as a break? (to the poster that said they were different)?

Vixyboo · 01/10/2016 23:36

Go with your instincts.

As long as there is obvious signs that her arm is receiving blood ie is pink, she hasn't been sick or hit her head then what's wrong with letting her sleep?!

Phone for advice if unsure.

MrsMook · 01/10/2016 23:37

DS recently had a suspected fracture. He fell in his classroom. Casually mentioned it a couple of times that night that he'd had a bump. Happily went to his swimming lesson. Mentioned it again the next morning, did a wait and see. It was mildly swollen, no bruising, he wasn't distressed. He couldn't bear weight on it at gymnastics. Took him to minor injuries, they checked it and gave a splint, but x ray was closed. Returned for x ray next morning. Fracture identified. Kept in splint, referred to children's hospital for next day for fracture clinic. Checked over, rediagnosed as sprain. Fine by a few days later.

As a toddler he had an injury that required an x ray (foot). The shock made him want to nap, and I let him have the usual nap before taking him to hospital. Fortunately he was young enough that his feet were still quite squishy and no breaks.

If it isn't an immediately concerning injury and the hospital visit is more of a check over in case, then I'm happy taking a rested child. If they were distressed by the injury, or there was brusing, heavy swelling, bleeding etc my response would be more immediate.

PickAChew · 01/10/2016 23:38

Took one of ours into A&E after a running, hand first, fall onto a hard surface leaving his wrist and palm red and angry with him crying hysterically (he rarely registered pain, at the time) and refusing to let me anywhere near it to have a proper look, let alone touch it.

By the time we got there, he'd calmed down. It was still red and the nurse washed it out. It was just an enormous graze. Very painful, but no deep tissue or bone damage.

It's so hard to gauge the severity of a child's injury by their reaction (my other DC shuts down completely and goes to sleep, when scared or in pain) but 'm of the mind that, unless something's hanging off, or there is obvious pain, it's, on balance of probability, better to take steps to be taking a not tired child to A&E to wait around and be prodded and poked in sore places than an exhausted one.

ExitPursuedBySpartacus · 01/10/2016 23:41

Breaks aren't painful in my experience. Dislocations are.

I took dd to hospital the day after she broke her ankle as I had tickets for the ballet.

Not a social worker in sight.

Duck90 · 02/10/2016 00:00

Doggity I'm an experienced social worker btw . With experience you will recognise that every case should be treated as unique, there are no text book families.

Plus, I'm sure you are good at your job, but the news and reality is full of experienced social workers not adequately safeguarding vulnerable people,.

Duck90 · 02/10/2016 00:04

Ps that reads like I am the experienced social worker. It was supposed to be a quote. I work in partnership with social workers, some very good and some not so.

Linpinfinwin · 02/10/2016 00:09

We took DD with a minor break and the A&E doctor said they often don't see them until 2 or 3 days later. In your position I'd follow the advice on checking her and otherwise leave it until morning.

hellsbells99 · 02/10/2016 00:12

If it is swollen you should take her to A&E.
DD broke her arm a few years ago. I didn't know it was broken so didn't take her until the next day when her arm had swollen up overnight. I was given a telling off that I hadn't brought her in the day before. As a result of it being left, DD had to go on a drip all day to reduce the swelling and could only be put in a half cast. Her arm heeled but she cannot straighten it properly.

BigGreenOlives · 02/10/2016 07:47

How is she this morning?

DianaBathesInTango · 02/10/2016 08:17

Hope she's a little less sore this morning. Oh and if you go to paediatric A nd E some sadist hasn't put a xylophone in the waiting room like they have at ours

SoupDragon · 02/10/2016 09:08

Nobody has said to wake her this second and rush her in, but to go to A&E as soon as possible.

You must have been reading a different thread to me then because there are lots of "nows". Equally balanced by the "wait until she wakes ups"

SoupDragon · 02/10/2016 09:09

Including you with "of course you shouldn't wait" ! :o

Marynary · 02/10/2016 09:26

Some people do talk utter tosh. Social services will not be interested in this.

They may not be but it delaying treatment for broken limbs is one of the things medical professionals look out for. They will probably ask a lot of questions and be suspicious if OP delays getting treatment.

witsender · 02/10/2016 09:49

Fracture is different to a break. A break is kind of, whole bone snaps, fracture is a crack in it.

GoofyTheHero · 02/10/2016 10:09

They may not be but it delaying treatment for broken limbs is one of the things medical professionals look out for. They will probably ask a lot of questions and be suspicious if OP delays getting treatment

Our GP told us to delay treatments for DD's fractured leg. Because we didn't actually know it was fractured (no X-ray vision!). They told us to delay for 24 hours before going to a&e to see if she started weight bearing again. Dr in a&e said we'd done the right thing. It was fractured, and put in a cast 24 hours later. All fine now.

Humidseptember · 02/10/2016 10:14

well IF op is questioned as to why she waited she seems to have lots of good reasons to pull on here.
The FACT is - after two a and e visits, I had a follow up call from SS - a very very brief - how is the child now - and that was it.

When I was in a and e - a lady was getting grilled over her small childs leg - and another two NCT friends also had some SW involvement - briefly due to childs injuries.

Maybe my area is more on top of it - but there seems to me to have been an awful lot of SW involvement - at whatever level.

Humidseptember · 02/10/2016 10:17

It wouldn't be even on a social worker's radar because it's a non-issue unless there is massive back story of repeated neglect which involves refusing to get medical care

Maybe not - for futher involvement but in my experience people have been contacted.

NavyandWhite · 02/10/2016 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MagikarpetRide · 02/10/2016 10:31

I have broken my arms several times. Every time clear full breaks. First time on each arm they didn't hurt, second time agony. Only the fact my arms were not in the right position gave it away.

My df walked about on a slightly fractured leg for a few weeks. His knee was bad anyway and they discovered it when xraying the knee. He has no clue when or how it was done

Hope your dd is ok. If it's still swollen this morning then take her just in case Flowers

Spartak · 02/10/2016 10:38

A fracture is the proper term for a break. Complete urban myth that one is worse then the other.

Google open fracture and look at the images - you'll see far more than just a crack.

Mummydummy · 02/10/2016 10:55

As I said i was questioned - and I think thats fine as they should check up as some people do do awful things. They made sure my Ds answered the questions about what happened. But they were satisfied I didnt come in before because it meant i would have had to leave the other child at home alone on Saturday night, A & E late on a saturday night wasnt that great a prospect, XH advised against (kids bones are very soft at that age - male confidence that they are an authority on everything).

Original poster
user1475350703 · 02/10/2016 13:10

She's in a bandage/half cast thing.

There's a tiny break, but nothing serious.

I took her this morning, it wasn't busy at all, glad we waited.

OP posts:
Boundaries · 02/10/2016 13:30

Ah, glad she's ok OP.

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