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Original poster

Can a toddler falling over cause a broken bone?

68 replies

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 21:53

My friend's DS has fractured his arm at nursery today. The nursery could not tell her anything apart from that he must have fallen over. Can an ordinary fall cause a broken arm or does it have to be from a height or at speed like falling off a bike or falling on roller skates etc.

OP posts:

Themumsnot · 08/03/2011 22:37

My DD1 fell over in the playground at morning break when she was 8. She went back to class and carried on for the rest of the day, although she was in quite a lot of pain. The teacher didn't realise how bad it was, because she was trying to be brave. Then when we got home, it was probably another 15/20 minutes before I realised that she needed to go to A&E. She had two broken bones in her wrist.
I don't really see why the nursery is at fault in this case, any more than the school was in my DD's case.

weegiemum · 08/03/2011 22:38

A friend of mine had her dd fall over and break her ankle.

Friend didn't realise for 2 days.

As friend is a doctor, she was very at casualty!

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 22:38

I agree with harecare, I've always thought the accident form should be shown and signed that day???

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 22:41

Lots of people on the thread have said they have children or know children who have broken bones and it's been missed for a couple of days but presumably these children have not screamed or cried very much when it happened?

OP posts:

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 22:45

Foot breaking didn't get screaming, just limping which after two days prompted me to take her to the hospital. Others screaming. BIG screaming. And with one of the arms the odd shape of it was a dead giveaway. She was back up the tree two days later though!!

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 22:46

Exactly. She could understand their lack of concern if he hadn't been making a fuss but a big scream and floods of tears for 15 minutes should indicate something might be wrong surely? And who knows when they would have eventually got my friend if she hadn't heard him.

OP posts:

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 22:53

I think she should just have a chat with the owner/manager in the morning. I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing in trying to calm the poor little chap down, but only we know our babies properly and as long as she voices her concerns then I think she can put a close to it. It's so awful when your children hurt themselves badly, but mistakes get made and at least he's ok now.

iskra · 08/03/2011 22:56

I think the situation was unusual in that the mum was on the premises. I would be a bit if my daughter's childminder called me at work to say DD has been crying for 15 minutes & I don't know why.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 22:59

iskra After how many minutes of crying would you feel that your childminder should ring you?

OP posts:

freshmint · 08/03/2011 23:00

yes.
both my ds's broke their arms when they were just beginning to walk. Both fell over on carpet. One was 13 months old, one 15 months old (slow walker!). It took me 5 days to convince anyone to x-ray the 13 month olds arm. I knew he had broken it just like my previous boy (started crawling again on one elbow etc) but they refused to believe me until I went bananas at the GP after being sent away from A&E days before.

My elder dd has broken her wrist twice, once when she was about 7 falling off one of those tiny mini square baby trampolines about 6" off the floor and once falling off a pony.

My sister has broken her wrist 3 times.

We have very thin and crappy wrists in my family

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 23:01

Also they did know why he was crying - he'd had a fall. I agree that I don't think you need to ring the parent every time a child cries for 15 minutes, but when it's after a fall or a bump then surely it's best to cos it could indicate something is wrong?

OP posts:

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 23:01

freshmint* are we related!!!! We just have crappy bones full stop in ours!!!

freshmint · 08/03/2011 23:02

very little screaming from either of my boys, and no swelling - just not using arm properly/not wanting to put weight on it and some movements would make them cry (eg that funny movement when you put a small child's arm in the sleeve of a shirt)

freshmint · 08/03/2011 23:02

hooray!
crap bones r us

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 23:03

iskra · 08/03/2011 23:04

nappyaddict but from what you say it wasn't like he had fallen off the top of the climbing frame or something, but had had the sort of ordinary fall a toddler has every day.

not sure when my childminder should ring me! I trust her judgement. I was called once when DD had vomitted (v unusual for her) & was not settling & still distressed after about 30 mins. V stressful journey across London to get back to her.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 23:08

Exactly a normal fall which wouldn't normally result in masses of screaming and crying for a long period of time? Wouldn't that make you think something was up?

OP posts:

SeeJaneKick · 08/03/2011 23:08

I knew a child who went for 2 days with a broken collar bone...it was only when she could not lift her arms upto get her jumper off that her Mother realised. She had fallen at school but was older than a toddler...about 7 as I remember.

freshmint · 08/03/2011 23:10

I think some little ones can get in a bit of a crying jag if they are hurt (not necessarily broken bones, just a fall and a graze) if they are tired and if they are getting a nice cuddle. I don't think 15 mins is too long to think "hmm, this isn't quite right". After 5 mins you wouldn't call the parents, after 10 mins you might think "hmm, hope he stops, let's check him over and cuddle a bit more' and at 15 you might say "no, this isn't right, let's call mum".

If he had hit his head and gone quiet it would be more worrying and I'd expect the call to be made earlier.

iskra · 08/03/2011 23:11

I don't know, TBH (have worked in nursery setting but not trained in any way) I would assume that the child was finding it difficult to be comforted without their mum there & not that something was seriously wrong (assuming it had been a normal fall & I couldn't see/feel the broken bone). Saw a girl around 3 at the playground the other day who got bumped by a slow moving swing - it can't have hurt that much (I sound so callous!) but I swear she was crying for the next half hour, with her mum trying to comfort her.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 23:12

mummynoseynora Hi I just wondered if you know how big the slide was?

Was it this sort of size or this sort of size? Also how did he fall was it backwards off the steps?

And freshmint the same with your trampoline? Was it a very small one like this or slightly bigger like this Also was it indoors, on grass or concrete?

OP posts:

boosmummie · 08/03/2011 23:13

I'm with you Nappyaddict and I love your name too! Like I said earlier, I don't think a normal fall and bump warrants more than 5 minutes of tears. I am from the school of hard mums in many ways, but that's from having done it for 18 years now....(poor old DD3 hasn't a chance has she) But I would be concerned if crying and obvious distress went on for any longer than that.

freshmint · 08/03/2011 23:15

exactly like the second link
except purple and orange because it was from the elc

it was indoors, in the living room, on carpet. We saw her fall off, it looked like nothing at all. but she did put her hand out behind her as she did and I guess that's what did it.

Original poster

nappyaddict · 08/03/2011 23:15

Think I'm going to start another thread about the length of crying time to see what the general consensus is about that. I wonder why they didn't give her the accident form though.

OP posts:

DirtyMartini · 08/03/2011 23:16

Agree with freshmint.

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