What would you do?

[marley2580]

It would depend on how many stairs and the way they fell.

 

[shampain]

I don't thnk I would take him for either to be honest. Obviously if there was something obviously wrong i would but Not if they were fine. I took paddy to docs with bad colds when he was younger and he had them for a while and it was a waste of time. X

 

[Panda_Ally]

Holly fell down the stair (top to bottom) a few months ago, i wasnt there at the time her dad was, she cried but was ok after cuddles and a few mins of crying. When i got home, even tho i could see she was totally ok i took her to the walk in centre just to get her checked over by a nurse. They said she was fine but i was already a bad mummy for leaving the stairgate open and i didnt wanna seem like a worse mummy for not getting her checked as well!!

As for a cold, i wouldn't bother unless she had a temperature that would come down cos she has already been in hospital for that before. xx

 

[Dinoslass]

Everyone is different I guess! Plus perhaps it depends also if it is your first child or you have had more.
If Rayan would fall the stairs and wouldn't be injured I would not take him. He seems to be climbing and falling all the time, and you know quickly enough if it is serious or not. I only took the older children a few times. Once my son had a really deep cut and it kept bleeding, so we took him. And one time he fell off his bike and his face was open in a bad way (skin of his cheek was actually hanging loose). But I have never been going to the doctor's quickly and with so many children running around here I'd be there every week!!!

 

[charlotteb24]

Without ever being in the situation of having him fall down the stairs i would say that i wouldnt take noah to A&E for a fall down the stairs unless he was visabally injured, if he wasn't i would keep an eye on him for a couple of hours and not let him sleep, make sure he was eating ok, didnt have a temperature, was having wet nappies etc and if symptoms did come on then i would take him. My reasons being because the NHs are so quick to jump to conclusions of how the child got their injuries and always point the finger at the parents and 9 times out of 10 for something like that are likely to reffer the family to social services and thats the last thing any caring and loving family want when it was purely an accident! Its so horrible to have to think like that but i've seen it happen to people before.

For a cold, they don't do much at all, noah got a cold, a bug and then another cold on top and when he got the first cold and te bug i rang the doctors and they didnt want me to bring him in, when he then got the 2nd cold i took him in and there still wasn't anything they could do! just what common sense dictates really which any parent would do! which isn't great when you know your baby is feeling really rough

 

[Sweetie]

Stairs has happened to us

She fell 14 hardwood steps onto tile (to this day no one will admit to taking the gate down ) We didn't go to the hospital. Only because when I checked her over her eyes dilated properly, she was still speaking clearly when asked to repeat words and was still signing when asked questions. She did have a bump on her head but I figured it was to be expected after a fall. She was able to walk with no issues too. I cuddled her after she fell but she wanted to be put down and toddled off to go play. She was more angry that I was restraining her than hurt that she'd fallen. I did monitor her for the rest of the day (we're literally 2 minutes from the hospital) and stayed away from naps. Every 15 to 30 minutes I continued to ask her questions or to do small tasks.

As far as a cold goes.... unless she were showing distress when trying to breath or spiked a fever/ wasn't able to keep liquids down or maybe acting out of character I wouldn't bother with the hospital. Emergency rooms are a waste of time for me unless it's an emergency

 

[midori1999]

I certainly wouldn't take my child to A&E or even the doctors for a cold. If I did, I'd never be out of the place, as my youngest has Downs so is prone to colds and has one for practically the whole winter.

I really doubt I would take my child to A&E for a fall down the stairs eiher, unless there was visible injury, but I would give them a thorough check over and keep a very close eye on them. If he has been uncosncious at all, I would go to A&E though.

I once had to dial 999 (I am the least panicky parent in the world!) as my son fell off the bottom step (our stairgate couldn't be fitted except a couple of steps up)and knocked himself out and had split his head open, despite having carpeted floors. He was 3 1/2. By the time the ambulance came, he was conscious, and I knew he was fine. A&E checked him out, but as soon as the doctor saw him she said she could tell he was fine. They just told me to keep an eye on hm at home and what to look out for, they didn't do anything.

 

[Rachiebaby24]

Mine have both fallen down the stairs and i would just stay at home unless they showed symtoms of being ill.
I know the questions the docs ask in A&E and all they do is send you home with a leaflet saying come back in if you see these signs.

As for a cold, carry on as normal, a doc can't do anything

Same here....would just look out for signs of being ill or not herself with the stairs and the same for a cold.

 

[mari72]

I agree with the watch and see approach, although in reality it really does depend on how high and how hard the fall was but with head injuries there are certain things to look for. If Ellis seemed easily placated and then played happily with no untoward signs i'd not take her to dr or a &e although i might have done when she was younger (and i was more terrified that she'd break, i realise she's pretty robust now)
As for a cold, well i have taken her to dr for cold i'm embarressed to admit but only cause she had a very rattley cough as well otherwise a cold-on its own- isn't a dr problem as there's nowt to be done. Plus Ellis's latest cold has lasted 4 weeks so i'd be back and forward quite a bit.
Every mum has their own comfort zone though and that changes with experience and time.
Not sure i agree that the nhs are ready to draft in the social services at the drop of a hat though, as someone who works in the nhs my experience is more that they give the benefit of the doubt initially.

 

[charlotteb24]

I also work for the nhs and with kids they are terrible in some trusts! mind, it may be more lapse these days, i wouldn't know! i only take noah if hes really bad, i dread the day i have to take him for a bump, a knock or stiches after the horror stories ive heard from friends with older children! of course different trusts are different though and the trust i work for wasn't the trust that got the social involved, it was a friend who lived in another county. It just scared the heck out of me, the sheer thought that my parenting skills could be srutinised because of a small accident! but like i say, its not personal experience, hope it never is either! at the end of the day, accidents happen!

 

[happy&healthy]

Ada just fell down the stairs today.=-( But she is fine. She cried until I picked her up. She has no bumps or bruises. Our stairs are carpeted. But it was still horrible.