SS call with A&E visit

[user1476694639]

Just wondered whether it was standard to refer any infant A&E visit to SS? Or whether we've been singled out somehow? Worried...

Our 3-week old DS has just learned to roll by wriggling legs and arms about. Unbeknownst of this, DH was supervising him on our double bed while I sent emails on the other side of the room. DH popped out of the room for a moment and DS managed to roll off the folded quilt, and fell onto the bedroom carpet.

He gave a little cry and seemed okay, but we panicked and called 111. They told us to take him to a&E within the next six hours, which we did immediately. We then waited four hours under observation incase he'd had a head injury (we thought he fell nappy-first, but couldn't be 100% as it happened quickly) and the paediatrician checked him over - no sign of injury.

Yesterday DH gets a call from SS on my mobile (his is in for repair) asking to access DS's medical records from the hospital. The SS guy asked various questions about whether DS 'rolled' or 'wriggled' onto the floor, and asked about a mental health condition (autism) neither of us had been diagnosed with.

From reading Mumsnet, I would expect a visit from a HV after an A&E visit, but no SS involvement. I'm baffled. Neither of us have any involvement with SS, we have no mental health issues, and DS wasn't injured.

Obviously, I've spent a long time trying to work out what would alarm someone about us or why SS called. I have opted out of agency-wide data sharing for political/medical confidentiality reasons, so wondered whether SS involvement was routine with a baby A&E visit and the only reason we'd had a call is to get our permission to share DS's data.

DH called 111 on my phone and - if the call handler reported us for some bizarre reason - this would explain why SS called my phone asking for him.

Also, when we got to the hospital, the triage receptionist refused to believe that DS had rolled (as apparently 'newborns can't move' - someone should tell DS that...), threw an accusatory glance at DH and I have to admit to snapping at her. We had been waiting for a long time in a huge queue in which two sets of parents had got into a shouting match over who had got there first. I had been trying to keep DS awake (as we'd been advised to by 111), and was stressed. I didn't like someone who couldn't even see DS accusing us of abuse for no real reason. I should mention that neither the hospital paediatrician, paediatric nurse or community midwife (who came around to our house later to look at my stitches) seemed remotely concerned by the incident. However, I'm concerned the receptionist decided we'd abused DS and reported us.

I should mention - now I know DS can wriggle off stuff, I've now moved every single thing (changing mat, etc.) onto the bedroom floor...

A 3 week old being able to roll off a double bed is VERY unusual. That must be like 4 or 5 flip overs if he was in the middle?! I am not surprised they were a bit disbelieving and they want to check all is well and the injury wasn't caused another way (e.g. dropping him). Surely you can see that as a positive thing?

I am glad he's ok! I would say that if there is nothing for SS to be worried about, then not to worry. I would only be worried if they were likely to have foundation to their worries iyswim? Just cooperate fully.

They are checking and double checking as a 3 week old being able to do that is very very unusual.
It's far better to follow up and find nothing than ignore and something else happen.

Do you mean 3 months rather than 3 weeks?

i imagine the case was referred as the cause of injury is incredibly unusual. most newborns do not move enough to roll or wiggle off anything.

Agree that it's highly unusual for a baby that age to be able to roll. That will be why they are looking into it closely. It may make you feel awful, but it's an important part of safeguarding children.

It's when A&E staff are given details of an accident with a child where the details don't ring true .

In your case it's very unusual for a 3 week old baby being able to roll over , therefore they are obliged to inform SS , as the 'mechanism of injury' seems unlikely .

Hope it all turns out ok and your baby is well.

Very very unusual to roll off or wriggle at that age; is it a double bed?
Not disbelieving you but I can't get my head around it

I don't know if they always do, but I think it's fairly normal.

When DH took DD to A&E (she was 2 or 3 at the time) he was asked lots of questions about whether she had a social worker, whether we'd had social services involvement in the past, whether he was "coping" okay with a toddler (afaik social services didn't actually get involved though).

i suspect that possible head injury with a baby raises some alarm bells, but I don't think it's anything to worry about

And forget about SS, they have a job to do and you're a loving mum

I'm a peadiatric nurse and would find that story a bit odd. Although I don't disbelieve you I would still refer it to SS.

To be honest I can see why SS would want to check up on this. A 3 week old managing to roll /wriggle off a bed is unusual. Was he laid next to the edge?

It's good that they are looking into it. Not all cases of small babies being taken to A&E will be innocent.

I think you're just going to have to cooperate fully and ride it out.

He was propped up on a roll of duvet within about ten centimetres of the edge. I didn't see him fall (as I was on the other side of the room), but - looking at the duvet afterwards - it required a single wriggle/roll and gravity would take him the rest of the way.

I always put him in the middle of the bed as he is very wriggly. DH didn't. I don't think he realised how mobile he was. We've subsequently put him on his stomach on his activity gym and he tried to 'crawl' on his elbows, with his head bobbing up and down. So he's a very active/strong little guy.

I did look up on the internet how unusual it is for a baby that young to try to crawl (unsuccessfully) and to be able to rock from back to side/side to stomach. I don't believe I have a superbaby. Apparently it's not that unusual...

In my local authority we have a duty to report any injury to a non mobile baby straight to social services. A&E acted in accordance to safeguarding protocol.

Now you've explained a bit more I can see how that would happen.

I do think it would have been normal practice for SS to be notified, given his age and circumstances.

A 3 week old being able to roll over is so unusual that I am not surprised SS are involved. Any injury to a non mobile baby is referred, I think. And because the circumstances of this injury are so very unusual, I think they will want to look into it. Just keep calm and cooperate.

Sounds like he's gonna be an early crawler OP ..

Clearly you are very caring parents and the SS are doing their safeguarding job and they will see that .

None of my 4 have moved that young so yes I agree with others it's very unusual

If you are doing nothing wrong surely there's nothing to worry about

It's v unusual that's why they're being extra careful. Glad he's ok though it must have been a shock.
Why did they report your DHs 111 call?

My DS was able to move around a lot when he was in SCBU.

He was only about a week old when the nurse told me what she'd seen him do.

Was he a particularly heavy/ chubby baby? Both mines have been able to hold head up from about 2 weeks. A struggle, but they could. Also would both roll onto side and liked to sleep that way, I'd constantly be moving them onto their backs in their baskets.

So yes, i can quite believe it however also aware it's really unusual. This is likely why SS has been made aware and its great to see the system working as it should.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, now it's happened you both know to take the proper measures.

Can I suggest a poddle pod? I used one with both of mines and it really helped, they couldn't roll or turn off it until they were about 5 months, and it was great to lie them down on the sofa/ bed (under supervision) and provided an extra "safeguard" so I could watch them, but not have to watch them like a hawk iykwim!

My eldest could wriggle and move at 3-4 weeks. She was crawling at 19 weeks. No one ever believed me until they saw it.

Hamiltoes - he was 8lb 5oz and a week overdue (healthily). He regained his birth weight quickly as I'm lucky to have a good milk supply, and he likes his food. At the last count, he was just over 4kg. So he's not unusually big (e.g. 10-11lb), but he's not small either. He does feel 'strong' for a baby - like he has a lot of muscular strength in his neck, arms and legs. My mum commented on it when she visited.

We've been using our Boppy feeding cushion so far to serve the same purpose as the Poddle Pod. DS gets a fair bit of trapped wind, often possets after a feed and propping him up inside the Boppy cushion seems to help with that - as well as keeping him in one place. After the accident, we've bought a Baby Bjorn bouncer - again, to help with the wind and keep him from wriggling off.

We had a call from SS after DS slipped in the park, slide-tackled the edge of a bench and needed stitches in his forehead. They told us it was a routine follow-up and that they were informed of all admissions to A&E under a certain age (he was 7 at the time). We had to take him in again this year aged 9 with a nasty cut to his knee and didn't get a call, so I'm guessing it's infants-aged children and younger?