To be worried about why nursery called about DS’s injury? Or overthinking?

[AveAtqueVale]

DS(3) got out of bed on Tuesday night and tripped on his way into our room. Not sure what caused it- he came in, said he’d hurt his knee, but wasn’t upset and went straight back to sleep so we didn’t investigate. Wednesday morning he was limping, but said it didn’t hurt, and showed no inclination to keep off it. It looked slightly swollen and bruised but other than giving him some calpol and trying to stop him bouncing around too much I didn’t think anything of it. On Thursday morning t was better still, so DH took him to nursery as normal - explained to the lady he signed him in with, and said to call us if he was having any difficulty and I’d pick him up early. I got two phone calls from the manager within a couple of hours - the first to ask what had happened as apparently it hasn’t been passed on, and the second to say he was struggling and could I pick him up and get it checked out. I did pick him up, but he wasn’t struggling as far as I could tell - we spent a large portion of the afternoon chasing bubbles around outside - and it seemed barely swollen at all. So I didn’t take him to the doctor.

This morning I’ve had a phone call to ask how he’s getting on and ask if I’ve taken him to the doctor yet . The nursery manager is lovely but has never done this before. He’s been off a few times, including with bad tonsillitis and scarlet fever and I’ve never had a phone call to see how he’s doing. He’s had a couple of dodgy bruises lately, both on his back (one from doing a forwards roll off the bed and hitting the wall and one from falling between two stools in his aunt’s kitchen and scraping his back on one). He also informed me on Wednesday morning when I was asking about his knee that it had happened when ‘daddy pushed him off the big chair’ (which obviously is not the case as we heard it happen) and I wonder if he’s repeated that to someone at nursery. So, long-windedly, AIBU to worry they’ve now got some sort of safeguarding worries about us? I’m a bit worried!

Swelling shpuld be checked out.
When DS broke his wrist, you couldn't tell it was swollen glands except with using the other wrist to measure against. It was described as "significant swelling".

Sorry but think your showing a minimum level of caring, swelling and limping can be bad, and from everything I've heard few bruises and what he said then if I was a nursery worker it would ring alarm bells of abuse if you wernt getting them checked out.

If my child had a limp for more than a few minutes I’d definitely be taking him/her to the doctor. Kids fall all the time and bounce back very well, a sustained limp needs to be checked out I think.

So update- I phoned the GP and they called back and said not to bring him in. Because he’s had no pain and it’s getting better. So now I don’t know what to do.

Well, you have discussed it with your GP an have your answer.

That's what you tell the nursery "The GP said it is fine"

And push back at the nursery manager, why didn't her staff follow the correct procedure? Should you fill the form in now in retrospect?

I've never met ANY GP that would decide that on the phone.

If it's true you need a MUCH better GP.

Worrying you seem to be now studiously AVOIDING this child seeing a qualified medic.

So now I don’t know what to do.

Then you've obviously been ignoring what the nursery have been telling you and what numerous PPs on this thread have been saying; that your son needs to be seen by a doctor. The nursery already have safe guarding concerns and the way you have been ignoring their advice is only going to add to those concerns.

You aren't coming out of this sounding great, the nursery have safe guarding concerns, you won't take your son to see a GP or other doctor and you say you are a medical student; when you qualify I hope you don't think that you can diagnose your future patients over the phone for potential bone or soft tissue injuries.

How can there be no pain? He's limping. Surely that alone means there's pain.

Your gp didn't want to see him? Did you say that he had been limping for several days after a fall?

Me personally I’d have this checked. My dc is useless at telling me when he’s injured and often covers up when he is hurt bad- broken bones bad.

Otoh, mimpi when I was little I spent a whole day limping. I don’t know what my reasoning was besides that I was little and I felt like it. I definitely wasn’t injured- but obviously in the case where the nursery is following safeguarding procedures, it would be best to dot the i’s and cross the t’s and get little one checked out properly. Bones breaking hurt at the time but kids often can’t explain later how or why it hurts- or how much.

I am listening - hence calling the GP. Our surgery works on the basis that you call and explain the problem to a receptionist, a GP calls you back and decides whether you need to be seen or not. If you do you get an on-the-day appointment. DH spoke to the GP and she said as the limp is improving there’s no point bringing him in - if it gets worse again to call OOH over the weekend. So I don’t really know what else I’m supposed to do, short of taking him to A&E.

And ‘no pain’ is based on the fact he has said repeatedly when questioned by us, and by nursery, that it doesn’t hurt. He is very articulate and also very very vocal about being in pain or feeling ill usually. And he’s making no effort to keep off it at all, which normally he would - another child at nursery slammed a chair leg down on his foot last year and he wouldn’t walk on it for days because it was bruised and aching. I’ve limped before after turning an ankle, even once the pain has gone, so assume it’s that sort of wobbly weak feeling. Anyway, over the course of the day the limp has now virtually stopped, and we’ve spoken to the GP which I hope will satisfy nursery.

And for PPs yes I do understand why the nursery would have safeguarding concerns. I was more just wondering if my gut feeling that that’s why I got the phone call checking up was correct. And it seems it is.

We have the same system at our gps op, but only for adults. Children are given an appointment straight away.

they are being cautious, a knock that is still hurting three days later is worth thinking about.

I know a child whose mum told me he was a terrible walker, always moaning if asked to walk any distance and to ignore him, which we did, just jollied him along and distracted him when we went to the library or the park. She then sat in my room in tears when it turned out he had a congenital problem with his hip and had to spend six months in a cast! We felt awful about it too, but she said not to as she was the one who had raised the issue and offered what she thought was the solution.

Also fwiw I really am not preventing him seeing medical professionals. As it happens In the next week he is going to be seeing at least three:
-an orthoptist, for an eye problem he’s had since birth that they see him every six months for.
-a nurse, for blood tests booked after a GP appointment I took him to last week, because he’s been very tired and off-colour recently and I am a bit concerned.
-a developmental paed or possibly an SLT (or possibly both) is coming to his nursery to do some observations as part of a referral for ASD.

So I’m really not obstructing his access to healthcare.

Ds1 fell and landed on his arm when he was 5. Had a bit of a cry and was fine. Played normally all day and evening, fine the next day in school, played outside and on the PlayStation that night. Day 3 complained his wrist was aching a bit, so his dad took him to A&E 'just in case', I said he was over reacting.

Had an x-ray, turned out he had fractured his arm. I still feel guilty over it.

2 years later he fell again, whilst with his aunt and uncle, who are both doctors. He said 'I've broken my arm'. They looked at it and said no it's fine. Two hours later dad took him to A&E- fractured his arm. With kids you really can't tell.

I have 2 DS with ASD and they both have a very high pain threshold...DS10;broke his elbow and just went quiet ...it was only when we took his jumper off we saw the size of the elbow !!!

I'd probably have it checked !

Next week not this

None of those will be looking at or in a couple of cases even qualified to assess his knee

They may naturally assume he's been seen by someone appropriate.

Posts are concerning.

I also know a few surgeries who operate a similar system to that you describe - still don't know ANY GP that wouldn't want to SEE an injured child, especially where symptoms inc swelling and limping for at least 2 days AND where nursery has raised safeguarding concerns.

I would follow the Dr's advice who you have explained issue to and has access to your child's medical history (especially as this fits in with your gut feeling and judgement).

If nursery ask you can say you contacted the dr and that was the advice.

Graphista........you sound very overly invested. My GP's surgery do the same as OPs for adults and children.

and reallyanotherone where did OP say that calpol would stop the child bouncing around?? she said she gave calpol AND tried to stop him bouncing around. 2 seperate things!

Perhaps - because I'm concerned there's an injured, hurt child for whom safeguarding concerns have been raised and who isn't being taken to see a dr.

I actually hope this isn't true.

It's unusual for a doctor not to see a child with an undiagnosed limp. Our DS developed a limp when he was little. He said it didn't hurt. We took him to the GP who diagnosed transient synovitis. There's no way they could have made a diagnosis over the telephone.

For God's sake graphista stop being so bloody melodramatic! He's not a 'hurt, injured' child. He just banged his knee! Honestly! Op has sought medical advice. Op please ignore the hysterics.

And it is NOT an undiagnosed limp. That would be a limp with no obvious cause. This child banged his knee two days ago.

Such a lot of needless hysteria. The child has a slight limp because he banged his knee a couple of days ago. The OP has since had a telephone conversation with a GP who assured the OP there was no need to get him seen by a doctor unless it gets worse. If it does then presumably the OP will seek further advice. The OP, who also has some medical knowledge, is not concerned so I’m really sure why some posters are getting so het up.

And the nursery haven’t been clear as to if they have raised a safeguarding concern or not.

What they have done is rung to ask if he’s ok and asked if he’s seen a doctor.

At no point have they stated “we have a safeguarding concern regarding this” either because he hasn’t been to the doctor or because they think it’s none accidental. This would be the professional good practise thing to do in the vast majority of cases, unpalatable and uncomfortable for the staff member but it’s part of their job.
To use the get out clause of potential further harm they are meant to have a legitimate reasonable belief that that is likely to be the case.

FWIW I woke up with cramp the day before yesterday I now have a slight limp and calf pain my doctor would fall off his chair in shock if I went to see him about it.