Bruising on child legs with no explanation

[worriedMum1123]

I’m really worried about my daughters legs they have bruising on them. I am of course going to call my GP in the morning but right now I’m going crazy googling and finding all sorts of diseases it could be a sign of. Please tell me if you’ve experienced similar with your kids please. She has been with me all week so no chance of anyone doing this to her. She’s doesn’t remember how it happened and it doesn’t hurt when I touch it. What could be the cause?

This is VERY dangerous - telling people not to use their GP and making them feel guilty!
Unknown bruising on a child should be looked into for multiple reasons.
Do NOT tell people not to use their GP!!! 😡

My 7 year olds shins are covered in bruises. From the park, garden, cycling, generally being 7.

Bruises associated with leukaemia are more likely to be in weird places where you wouldn't expect to see them - places like the tummy and the hands, not arms and legs where it's normal to knock yourself.

However I don't agree you shouldn't contact the GP, that's what they are there for. If you're worried then contact them.

I bruise easily…I went through a phase of around 3 years where I always had similar bruising on my legs but didn’t know where I got it from. One of my friends I went swimming with even started making concerned comments (think she was insinuating DP might have done it! We’d only recently got a house together). I worked out that I’d been banging my shins regularly on our bed, we had a big king sized shoved into a small room without much room to manoeuvre round it 🙈

Looks like a normal kid type bruises where she's banged her legs and just carried on. The bruises that would worry me occur in places less obvious, if that makes sense. By all means chat with your Gp if you're worried though

It's a couple of bog standard bruises 🤯
Please don't go to the doctors for this. Absolutely mental. It's probably from banging her shins climbing into bed, my kids have them permanently!

Both my DC bruise really easily. I am exactly the same. I can knock into something quite lightly and it bruises up.

This is VERY dangerous - telling people not to use their GP and making them feel guilty!

It's not dangerous though, is it? The kid has a couple of normal bruises, in a normal place, there is nothing at all dangerous about not seeing a GP for this.

Unknown bruising on a child should be looked into for multiple reasons.

Unknown yet pretty regular type bruises on children are absolutely normal.

Do NOT tell people not to use their GP!!! 😡

Suggesting this doesn't need a GP is fine. Calm down.

Could have fallen up some steps? Right level I think. No idea why someone is suggesting the glass test for a well kid with bruises on her shins. The madness of MN I guess!

This isn't what the GP is there for at all.

I bruise very easily (very pale so it all shows up), I'm a bit dyspraxic so have little awareness of my body in space so often knock into things and I rarely remember hurting myself (it has to really hurt)z I've had bruises like those from just kneeling on the floor before. If a child climbs onto my lap I'll often bruise just from a misplaced foot/knee/elbow.
I've been that way for as long as I can remember. Please don't contact a GP for just a couple of bruises with no other symptoms! If everyone took their child to the GP for some minor unexplained bruising imagine the chaos! Significant bruising with no explanation over a long period of time and/or with other symptoms -fine.

A GP is really really not there, and hasn't trained for 7 years, to allay irrational fears of a bruise on a young child's leg.

Kids' shins are always covered in bruises in my experience

Actually looking at the picture- where the bruises are in relation to where the hard base of the sofa would be we probably have our culprit right there!

All bruises are bleeding under the skin! That’s what a bruise is.

These look like normal childhood bruises. My 4 year old doesn’t go a day without adding another random one that she has no idea how she got.

I wouldn’t GP until this is a much longer pattern.

Hi OP, write a big reply and it disappeared, so just a quickie.
I’m an NHS nurse, look at the whole child not just the bruising. If she is otherwise well, it’s really unlikely to be anything very serious. I’ll add a link for ITP. One of my DC developed this, they think in response to a virus, then post viral rash, then triggered ITP. His bruising looked similar to your DC. Bruising was extensive and in unusual places, tips of fingers for example. Was advised to go to A&E, they took it seriously . Platelet could was zero! As I said, no other symptoms, was monitored regularly -finger prick test at hospital, and it rectified itself over time.
https://alderhey.nhs.uk/application/files/6516/4553/5380/Immune_Thrombocytopaenic_Purpura_ITP_Patient_Advice_Leaflet_PIAG_174.pdf

I disagree. There are some very very innocuous things which warrant further investigation, even if (unqualified) people on mumsnet think they're silly.

My kids used to be covered in bruises on their shins! Especially my son, who would shrug and say he had no idea what he did.
They are like small elephants at that age.

@chimayrah1

There are some very very innocuous things which warrant further investigation, even if (unqualified) people on mumsnet think they're silly.

A couple of bruises isn't one of them though.

I had loads of little bruises on my legs a while back. I realised that it was where i had been carrying a basket in the supermarket and it was banging against me with every stride!

I would probably keep an eye on the bruises. There could be a very simple explanation for them. Monitor closely over the next couple of weeks and watch if she bumps into things, which would explain them. If you are still concerned in a week or two, i would speak to GP.

Even the NHS website clearly says speak to your GP if you have unexplained bruising you're worried about.

That's not what the NHS website says.

My youngest has always bruised easily! His legs are always covered but he is ok, it’s always worth getting these things checked out st the GP.
most children that age are jumping and rolling around and often bang their legs onto furniture/toys/etc and they don’t realise.

The glass test won’t work for shin bruises either. Think about the logistics of that.