Bitten by a child

[user1479630022]

Hello
my son (m9) was accidentally bitten on the top of the head by another child in his class at lunch time yestrrday. School called and we had to collect him as they said it may require stitches. I took him to a minor injuries clinic where the washed the rather deep tooth shaped hole in his head but said they won’t stitch or glue it due to it being treated as a bite and the risk of infection. They have given him a 3 day course of antibiotics.
the nurse asked lots of questions regarding the child the bite him and if I knew the child and if they had their vaccinations. None of which I knew as my son has just started in a new class.
I asked my son to check on his school friend today to see if her teeth were okay etc. my son tells me the child in question has only been at the school a couple of years as they moved here from Africa.
I rang the school this morning and explained the Qs the nurse was asking about if the other child had their vaccinations etc and they said they won’t tell me that.

is this right? I know a human bite can be quite nasty and am I right to ask to know if the other child has had vaccinations? Or am I over thinking and going over board?

thanks

I trust that you will be offering this advice to the mother of the poor girl that has been headbutted aggressively by OP's son. Children of that age should know better than to headbutt each other, after all.

Obviously you'll also be urging her to seek immediate dental examination as an upward motion headbutt to the teeth can cause extensive damage to the teeth, gums, nerves, and surrounding facial structures which could even lead to speech issues.

I can’t blame pp for their response, if they hadn’t seen the op’s further comments. The OP is very misleading.

Don't pretend to be innocent about Africa in this. It's obvious that if somebody has recently come here from another country the OP would be unsure about their vaccination status.

Your thread title is misleading. The other child didn't bite him; he accidentally head-butted her teeth? That's very different than actively biting. I'm surprised she didn't lose some teeth.

I hope both of them will be okay.

The first ten words of the OP make it clear that this was an accident - why are so many posters accusing the OP of portraying it as anything else?

"Accidentally" is the sixth word of the original post. If people can't get that far without wading in, then yes, I can blame them, they're morons.

There’s an awful lot of stretching going on.
Including the faux confusion about the OP mentioning the other child is from a different continent as she’s quite obviously unsure of vaccination routines there etc.

So the girl didn't bite him, your son headbutted her in the face? You could have written your OP a bit more truthfully really.

Surely a nurse would know that patient's medical history is confidential? How are you supposed to know if the other child is vaccinated?

My children had to have a tb jab when they were newborns because their dad is from South America, even though he'd been in this country for a long time. So I don't think there's anything sinister about the OP saying the child is newly arrived from Africa.

Different continents have diseases and infections that are more common there than here. It's not offensive to say so.

No the OP's kid accidentally bashed his head into the girls teeth.

finding it hard to believe a nurse would ask that though. Surely the answer is 'Hiw the actual fuck would I know?? Test him as though she hasn't had any vaccinations'

Because it's completely wrong to say her child was bitten (accidentally or not) d wasn't! He Jamie's backwards accidentally bashing into her. It's not a bite.

This. Well worded.

Personally I would be demanding the school explain would measures were going to be put in place to ensure another incident doesn’t occur

What measures do you suggest a school puts in place to stop children bumping into each other in the playground? 😅

I'm a nurse and if we're bitten (break the skin) on duty, occupational health request blood work from the person who has bitten. So maybe this was where the nurse was coming from? Hope both children are OK, sounds like a painful accident!

It doesn't sound like a bite situation from the OP's post, more a accidental clash of teeth and head, very different scenario than a bite situation.

I wish people would read the OP's posts! It was an accident, not an assault. OP was asked at the hospital about the other child's vaccinations, she's not just being nosy. It might be relevant that she's come from Africa, otherwise why do you have to have jabs before going there?

Ask the doctors exactly what information they need and why.
See what the potential affects of them not knowing this is on your child's treatment.
If they are serious, email the school, or even better get the doctor to email the school, requesting this information.
If they refusing calmly tell them you need the information, so if they don't give it to you, you will have to raise their serious failure to safeguard your child with the LA and governors
Proceed with this as necessary.

Obviously, if the doctors can treat your child without the info, then that is going to be less difficult for everyone, but the school let this accident happen and their response is ridiculous. Technically my name and insurance details are confidential information, but if a crash into another car, I'm not going to get away with not paying up because I don't want to reveal them!

My own biys have had a few head on collisions in playground when younger and Iv seen a few. Quite often teeth break the skin.

@stichguru whether the OP asks politely, or her doctor emails them, it doesn't give the school permission to break the law! The school cannot give out another child's personal medical opinion in this situation, whether you think they should or not. You can't threaten them with consequences when they are entirely right in their position!

Your insurance information equivalent doesn't hold either because legally, no, you don't have to give your name or address to a stranger in the event of an accident. You do have to give your number plate, which is not protected info. The insurance companies, who are allowed to divulge those details to other authorized bodies such as other insurance companies or the police.

What she can do is request that the school passes on her request for vaccination history to the other parent. But that's it. And there is no way to force the other parent to give it to her

Sorry but to bite that deep that it would possibly be seen as needing stitches doesn't sound like an accident. If be asking school what disciplinary action they are taking over the little thug.
If also be seeking out the parents to demand to know about vaccines

🙄
There is no question that it was an accident and not an attack. The OP's child accidentally head butted the other children if anything.

Yes, same as when we go abroad and need to have certain vaccinations due to risk of whatever is prevalent in the definition country I imagine.

I'm 99% that legally the school HAVE to provide information that allows a child to be appropriately treated for injuries sustained while in school, so no I don't think they are entirely or even partly right on their position. Plus also there is no break in confidentiality if the school give the information to the hospital direct or the parents do, because the hospital only need to know the child as "the child who bit X" whereas obviously OP and her son and the school know the identity of the child.

It is an assault. Does your son still have a fontanelle? It is the soft spot on a baby's head which closes gradually with age.

If there is any hint that the wound on the head could cause an infection into the brain there should be an inquiry. Your GP should contact the other family's GP. It should be taken very seriously, especially as the family have been in UK(?) such a short time.

There is no such thing as an 'accidental bite''.

I can only tell you what I think. Your child is a victim, and deserves to know what has happened.

It might be a good idea to report the whole thing to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases by letter, detailing everything you know about the incident and what the nurse told you. They will be able to put your mind at rest.

In fact, anyone who has been in contact with someone from a sub tropical region of the world has the right to know whether there hasn't been some cross infection from an injury received.

The teacher at the school has handled this wrong, if he/she has not taken this seriously. Do you think she took it further? Your child is a victim, and a victim has a right to know whether it is taken seriously.

No of course not.
Rtft.

How are the girls teeth? I bet it was painful for both of them.