Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Baby injured at childminders - advice needed please

212 replies

EmilyD2012 · 25/04/2013 14:03

My DS (10mo) returned from the childminders on Tuesday evening suffering from sunburn. Overnight his face swelled up badly, by Wednesday morning his face was horrific - bright red and he couldn't open his left eye because it was so swollen. We took him to A&E and were told he was most likely suffering an allergic reaction to something or severe sunburn.

After giving him antihistemines and pain relief we were discharged and his face slowly started to deflate. Yesterday afternoon his skin started to blister and, by the evening, was weeping constantly. I took him to the doctors who said that he was suffering from serious sunburn to the face. I asked the childminder how long he had been out in the sun for and she said it had been 30 minutes at most. The doctor disputed this and said that it was very unlikely to have such a dramatic reaction to just 30 minutes in the sun. It is only April, after all.

The childminder is a friend of mine and has always been brilliant with my DS (she has a baby the same age). No part of me thinks that she would have deliberately let him come to any harm. That said, the last 48 hours have been horrendous. Every time I look at my baby my heart breaks. His face is a mass of blisters and open wounds. His left eye looks like it could bruise. I've been given hydrocortisone cream to treat the skin but every time I touch him he screams in pain. Last night I put him to bed and wept.

Today, the childminder came round and saw for herself what a terrible state he is in. I didn't want to make her feel worse than she no doubt already is, but equally felt it was important for her to see that I wasn't exaggerating when I contacted her from the doctors yesterday.

I just don't know what to do. Some of my friends say that such a careless act is unforgivable and I should never leave my DS with her again. Others are more forgiving and say that, after seeing him, she has surely learnt her lesson.

Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. What would you do?

Thank you x

OP posts:
ReetPetit · 25/04/2013 22:19

and op, i am very sorry to hear about your poor ds. have you told your cm the latest news? what is her reaction? i would be completely mortified if this happened to a child i was looking after. there is someting odd about this, i feel.

5madthings · 25/04/2013 22:23

There is not an child protection issue re applying sunscreen, my dp works with child protective services and you are talking crap.

The issue is as reet says that you need permission for any cream, calpol etc and to know the child is not allergic, hence asking parents to send in their own which is what most pre-schools, nurseries and childminders do.

I wouldn't send my child to a nursery or child minder that wouldn't apply sunscreen if necessary. I tend to go for loose baggy clothing and a big hat and then suncream if necessary, but it really is essential at times, unless you don't care about sunburm and increased risks of skin cancer...

Cherriesarered · 25/04/2013 22:24

How can applying sun cream be a child protection issue when you are in a position to change their nappy??? I'm sorry the training was either shut or the interpretation is shit! With parents consent there should be no problem. I wouldn't use you because with super fair skin my child would get burned!

littlebitofthislittlebitofthat · 25/04/2013 22:25

I am using sun protection, just not suncream. As I have said, shade, limited time, and of course sunhats and long sleeves. I'm not neglecting them in my garden for heavens sake

I won't give calpol unless I have a signed medical form.

What's so bad about getting parents to put on the suncream?

littlebitofthislittlebitofthat · 25/04/2013 22:27

Thanks 5madthings but your husband wasn't on my course.

VivaLeBeaver · 25/04/2013 22:27

Hope he's feeling better soon and that you get some answers.

HSMMaCM · 25/04/2013 22:28

Littlebit - several of my mindees parents would be happy with your policies. I take the children out in long sleeves and wide brimmed hats, but I do apply sunscreen if they are out in the sun for longer than 15 mins (also dependent on child's skin reaction to sun). I was also told in training that I should not be applying sun screen, but I do, because I have parents permission.

MatriarchalDreams · 25/04/2013 22:30

OP, I'm so sorry, that sounds like a horrific experience for you both, really hope that you get good care tomorrow and your son soon recovers.

Littlebit, doesn't that really restrict what you do with your mindees? Your garden may be shaded but if only one child's parent has forgotten to apply sunscreen or has not realised/predicted how warm it's going to be on any given day, you have to stay in on that day, no trips to the park or walks around town, no walking to/back from school/pre-school. The fact that my child will be able to do these sorts of things has been a big factor in DH and I choosing for her to go to a childminder's when she starts in childcare next month.

littlebitofthislittlebitofthat · 25/04/2013 22:37

hsmmacm. So you were told not to. What if you are happy not to?

Should I go against my training and what I believe is a healthy way of life because the parents won't apply suncream to their own child?

I don't leave them in the sun and I care for them really well....but I feel like people are all having a go when the solution is really simple......put it on your child before your little one comes here.....

They will be having a fab time here, yet it's been suggested that I parent should be boycotting me, for something the parents won't find 5 mins in their
day for. I feel that's a tad hypocritical.

lisalisa · 25/04/2013 22:39

I don't want to be the one to say this but I know what would be going through my mind..... The doctor says its second degree burns. Can this happen due to sunlight for half an hour ? Seems remote to me. Is it possible your ds got burnt due to something else on his face?> I really do hate to raise this but would feel worse not to and then OP sent him back to childminder and something else happened. OP if this upsets you feel free to pass over/ignore but it was in my mind. Not suggesting a deliberate injury but could it be your ds got hold of something at hcildminders that he shouldn't and childminder panicked and blamed it on the sun? Just think the 30 mins outside is stretching it for second degree burns. AFter all it is April and England not August in the middle east

littlebitofthislittlebitofthat · 25/04/2013 22:39

Matriarch dreams.....I expect that when you drop off your little one and I say....have you put suncream on, you will say yes, or no, but I'll do it now.

That's what has happened successfully so far

narmada · 25/04/2013 22:49

I don't think it's that, littlebit.

It's just that, as people have rightly said, whoever told you that applying sun cream was 'a child protection issue' is misinformed and is relaying misleading information. Just because someone's teaching you it, it doesn't mean it's correct! Who was the training provider - private company??

I think many on here are skeptical of claims about the evils of 'chemicals'. You sound like a nice childminder, and I wouldn't have a problem using you because of your beliefs about these things, but I certainly don't agree with you on those points.

Squash - pah. Aluminium and chemicals in creams - again, pah. Pales in comparison to real risks of sun exposure. Bio washing powder - pah. Only thing it's missing is enzymes. And the human body is full of those Grin.

MatriarchalDreams · 25/04/2013 22:51

Yes, but what about days like Tuesday when it wasn't really that obvious that it was going to be so warm at 8am? And what happens in the afternoon when you've had to wipe the whole of my baby's face and her hands and wrists and maybe legs if she's got a romper/dress on because she's got food all over herself (despite her long sleeved bib) so now the sunscreen I've applied at 8am has been wiped off? Or if she's playing with water in the garden and got herself wet and you've had to dry her off, again wiping off the sunscreen?

geologygirl · 25/04/2013 22:54

Your poor baby! I hope the specialist can advise on the cause and help your little one.

Problem is that not only was your child burnt but doesn't sound like the CM did anything about the supposed sun burn either. Until the heat has been taken out of the skin, the skin still burns which has probably caused it to become seond degree burns. Whatever the outcome tomorrow with the specialist, I would not be taking my child back to that CM. The trust has gone and your baby has suffered unnecessarily.

I hope little one makes a speedy recovery. Bless you both.

doughnut44 · 25/04/2013 23:04

My policy is that the parents should apply cream in the morning before the children arrive that way I know that they can play out in the morning with no problems. I will apply it again if we are out in the afternoon (parental permission obviously) as I would not want to be responsible for a sunburnt child. I think a bit of common sense is required here. With the best will in the world it is hard to keep a child out of the sun on a gorgeous day. All any childminder needs to do to cover themselves putting sun cream on is to get the parents to provide their own and sign a consent form

christinarossetti · 25/04/2013 23:06

Sun in April is as hot as August. It doesn't take that long for skin, especially young skin - to burn.

That said, I would be horrified if someone had allowed my baby to get sunburnt, let alone so badly.

I hope that you get good help from the Burns Unit and that your son gets better quickly.

What was/is the childminder's reaction btw?

duchesse · 25/04/2013 23:06

April sun is as strong as August sun.

duchesse · 25/04/2013 23:07

Sorry, x posts christinarossetti!

christinarossetti · 25/04/2013 23:07

But doughnut, OP is talking about a 10 month old baby, not a toddler or older child. There's no way the cm wouldn't have been able to keep him out of the sun just by ensuring he was in the shade.

QOD · 25/04/2013 23:08

Oh poor baby :(

My dd was allergic to most sun creams, she'd blister up and look like she had chicken pox, only ambre solaire worked on her

duchesse · 25/04/2013 23:15

Outragedfromleeds: more difficult to ascertain of course how many die from aluminium related illness than from skin cancer, but your question to me implies that all skin cancer is caused by the sun.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 25/04/2013 23:16

"If there is no issue then why are there people on here admitting to having to get parental consent in writing before applying it."

IME parents are asked to sign all manner of consent forms when putting their children into childcare and many of them are nothing to do with child protection issues.

littlebit - I think you sound like a lovely CM but I still don't understand your strict training of not applying suncream. Surely if parents are sensible and send their children to you with hats, long sleeves and trousers you would only need to apply suncream to minimal areas. Have you had to not proceed with taking on a mindee because of your policy or do you find all parents accepting of it?

duchesse · 25/04/2013 23:17

Professor Chris Exley is a leading expert on aluminium and he doesn't believe it's safe to be so readily consumed/slathered on.

Cravingdairy · 25/04/2013 23:29

You have to reapply sunscreen regularly so just applying it at 7am is useless IMO if you are outside after about 10am particularly if you factor in hand and face washing before/after meals etc.

Swipe left for the next trending thread