First Grader with Three broken Bones in One School Year

[Seredni]

My son is in the same classoom with a boy who has had three different broken bones in this one school year, all occuring at different times: broken wrist, left arm, right arm. I mention that they didn't happen at the same time as if they did they could have occurred by a car accident or something similar.

I don't know this family and have absolutey no other information except that my son asked him how he broke his wrist and he said he didn't want to tell anyone.

This seems a bit unusual. What do you think?

[manna]

Boys are rough and clumsy. It could just be that.
If he's ever been checked in the ER or a physicians office for any of his injuries, if there is even a SUSPICION of abuse or neglect - it MUST be reported under penalty of law.

[duckie75]

report it to the teacher, or guidance counselor

[daisy3600]

Yup, teacher, school nurse, counselor. I'd mention it to all three incase the one you choose to tell ignores the situation. Usually, a boy is more than happy to tell you how he broke a bone because there is most often a great story that goes along with the broken bone.

It might be nothing. I might be something huge.

[Fidget]

my nephew broke his arms 3 times in a year. Broke his right one 2 times and his left once. One was from baseball, one was from a skateboarding accident and the second time he broke his right hand he slipped on water in his kitchen.. he felt so stupid about that one he didnt want to tell anybody. At least wiping out on your skateboard sounds somewhat cool..

[psipsina]

Boys are rough and clumsy. It could just be that.
If he's ever been checked in the ER or a physicians office for any of his injuries, if there is even a SUSPICION of abuse or neglect - it MUST be reported under penalty of law.

The only think I'd worry about is if the kids been taken to different docs each time, they only really suspect if they see a pattern. Maybe you could talk to the teacher, they probably have more insight into the child and could tell you if there are any behavioral signs to back up your suspicion.

[AnahsSkcor]

I would like to think the teachers would have noticed and already be on top of any abuse she may suspect in any child.

I know all my kids teachers have been in the past. In fact one girl in my sons kindergarten class last year was coming to school with odd bruises cheek, shoulders, back etc.. Not the usual legs knees, arms kind of thing but worse it was reported and she was not only being abused but molested by her step - father.

Hope its just the usual clumsy kid syndrome not anything else.

[Jerrysgirl]

My son is in the same classoom with a boy who has had three different broken bones in this one school year, all occuring at different times: broken wrist, left arm, right arm. I mention that they didn't happen at the same time as if they did they could have occurred by a car accident or something similar.

I don't know this family and have absolutey no other information except that my son asked him how he broke his wrist and he said he didn't want to tell anyone.

This seems a bit unusual. What do you think?
Maybe this boy has a calcium absorption problem?

[floridamom1990]

Boys are rough and clumsy. It could just be that.
If he's ever been checked in the ER or a physicians office for any of his injuries, if there is even a SUSPICION of abuse or neglect - it MUST be reported under penalty of law.

I agree with you Manna.

[bigskwinner]

when they are young i would be extremely concerned
my son is now 13 and the amount of times he gets hurt at SCHOOL just absolutely floors me
no broken bones YET but the teachers sure dont seem to be on top of things

[Chrysie]

My 7yr. old DS just broke his arm Thursday. He fell off the monkey bars at school. My DD broke her arm twice when she was 7. They both had to see an orthopedic Dr. even though my sons fracture was not serious. If the boy had to see an orthopedic Dr. I would think they know enough about fractures to be able to tell the most likely way the bones were broken. And they ask lots of questions in the ER.

[TinyMoMo]

Tell Somebody!

[zelda]

I think the fact taht he doesn't want ot tell anyone says volumes....

Most kids that age want to "brag" about injuries sustained from wrestling/baseball/ football. etc.

It's kinda like grown men comparing scars .

[meeeee]

Tell Somebody!


kids break things but to be on the safe side I would mention your concerns to the teacher
The teacher may already have a handle on it

[skpaw]

Yes they do have to watch for abuse, but there are genetic conditions that cause very weak bones. Just a simple bump or fall that would not hurt a *regular* person will cause them to break bones. :( It is possible this child does not want to talk about THAT because they don't understand it too well or they don't want other kids to tease them for being different.

I hope he is not abused. I also hope he does not have a bone disease. Either way, it is sad. The best case here is that he has had a few accidents but he will be ok. :(

[Miki]

I think the fact taht he doesn't want ot tell anyone says volumes....

Most kids that age want to "brag" about injuries sustained from wrestling/baseball/ football. etc.

It's kinda like grown men comparing scars .

I agree with both you and manna.

For this child not to want to tell anyone just doesn't sit right with me. I would speak to the principle of the school. I did just that when my son told me about a little girl who told him that she didn't like going to her fathers because, her stepmother would lock her in the attic or something like that and wouldn't feed them. Anyways, it turned out that this little girl had a wild imagination and they had already investigated the parents. Anyways, I felt I needed to talk to the principle about everything my son had told me.

It just doesn't seem right to me that that boy doesn't want to tell anyone how he got hurt, unless he is shy or embarressed but, still...Yes, I would go speak with the school about your concern but, be careful not to "accuse" anyone.

[nurse1998]

wE HAVE 5 HOSPITALS WITHIN 30 MILES OF EACH OTHER AND WE HAVE HAD ABUSED KIDS SEEN AT ALL OF THEM FOR INJURIES THE PARENT SAYS CHILD FELL "IS CLUMSY" ETC AND SOMETIMES WE HVE TO ACCEPT THAT REASONING BUT SOMETIMES THE PATTERN OF THE BREAK TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY SUCH AS SPIRAL BREAKS FROM TWISTING. I HOPE THE SCHOOL IS INVESTIGATING AND IT IS JUST A CASE OF CLUMSY KIDS BUT AT A YOUNG AGE BOYS USUALLY LIKE TO BRAG ABOUT HOW THEY BROKE THEIR BONES IE HEY YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE BACK FLIP I DID OFF THE SLIDE NOT TELL THEIR FRIENDS I DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT HOPE THE OY WILL BE OK AND EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT FINE

[noni1959]

Not wanting to tell speaks volumes as others said. I pray he just is a normal boy that gets hurt climbing trees or something. Maybe he has brittle bone disease too. Either way, speak up.

[sweepluvr]

I am sorry but when it comes to children getting hurt for one reason or another and hearing on the news that a child died because of parents or someone else.. I would wonder.

Yes sometimes when a child gets hurt they will brag about it. But the ones who don't want to talk about it well I would wonder if someone else hurt him.

My son who is 28 yrs now. He wanted to fall down the stairs from our apt. to get a cast so he can have all his friends sign it. My son was a dare devil but it didn't happen because I wouldn't let him.

I have reported suspected child abuse cases that I saw and heard and I was basically right.

For example yrs ago I saw this man (basically next door to me) grabbed his son (actually turned out to be his step son) and pulled him by his arm and dragged him to the house where I heard him over and over beating the young boy.

I called the cops and a week later the little boy came to my house with a cast on his arm and very afraid of his step dad. They later moved.

And another where I actually heard a "grandpa" molesting his grandson in the bathtub. (walls were really thin) and that made me so very sick to my stomach. He was picked up and sent to prison because he was molesting all of his grandkids (they all lived together) and even there own kids.

I don't take this lightly. It could be too that like some others said that he proably hurt himself. But just to be sure I would really let the officials know and the school that they go too. Because just in case he is being abused then it might be too late if you don't do anything about it.

[Maprinces3]

Mention it to the teacher and see if maybe he/she knows more about it (ie: O.I./brittle bone diease) or something else.

[Nubbs820]

My cousin as a child broke a lot of bones. He was born very sickly but was pretty normal in elementary school except for the bones he broke. He didn't like to talk about the bump breaks to anyone, including his family who knew that he could just bump into things where his bones would break. All of his teachers were well aware of his medical conditions. Maybe ask the teacher and say your son was concerned because so and so keeps breaking bones and didn't want anyone to know how he broke them.

[jeanmarie]

My son's best friend went thru a spell where he had a cast on something for almost a full year. They were all from clumsy accidents, but the parents said they were dreading taking him to the ER after the second or third accident, because they were warned in the ER that any more 'accidents' would result in an investigation. Fortunately for everyone, the boy was at school for one break, a park with a lot of other parents and kids another time, etc. and in a matter of a few hours, the investigation was completed. What a stressful situation for everyone.

I agree, it's suspicious that the boy won't talk about the cause of the injuries.

[Traumajunky]

In grade school we had a girl in our class who broke her arm every year - no joke. I can still picture her at her desk with her arm in that weird cast position, doing her work. I can only remember her being out of the cast very briefly one time and then a few weeks later, she broke it again.

So, it's possible there is nothing else going on. I am sure the ER or doctor's office is aware of what's going on. If you are really concerned, I would mention it to the teacher. Good for you for being concerned but rational and not jumping the gun.

[ouroboro]

Not wanting to tell speaks volumes as others said. I pray he just is a normal boy that gets hurt climbing trees or something. Maybe he has brittle bone disease too. Either way, speak up.


My first grade son is not a rough and tumble kind of kid and that does not make him abnormal. There is no one way to be a boy. My son is also very quiet and shy--he doesn't tell alot of things until he gets to know you first. I don't think that is abnormal either, that is his personality. Maybe this boy really doesn't want to tell how he got hurt, that doesn't make him abnormal. If you are concerned go talk to the teacher, she's met the parents and would know about any possible medical conditions. I would hate to think that some parent thought we abused our son because he doesn't talk, when all they would have to do is talk to the teacher and find out he goes to speech therapy every week. OP, its great that you are concerned, before you do anything though, talk to the teacher he/she will have more insight on what is happening in this boys life.

[Scibba]

The teacher is obligated to report suspected child abuse, when suspected.

I'm sure 3 broken bones in one year does not go unnoticed.

[straycat]

Good grief, I was such a tom boy growing up, I don't think I've ever had less than 10 breaks a years growing up. I was never abused. Unless you KNOW for fact, I would let boys be boys. Don't point fingers. I got hurt sooo much growing up, I never wanted to talk about it either. After awhile you just assume you're gonna have a cast. It's a way of life. I never had brittle bones. I was just a monkey. I had to climb everything.

[Mrsloon]

My brother broke his wrist when he was about 8. Two weeks after he got the cast off, he broke the other one. Sometimes it is just recklessness/clumsiness.

[maria1234]

My little brother was a terror when he was a kid. I knew what stiches were before I was 7 years old. He'd have an accident and I'd run to my folks saying "Johnny needs stitches again." Now days he would have been flagged as abused even though that was not the case at all. Within one year my brother had stiches twice in his forehead and a broken arm. This boy might be the same way.

[skpaw]

There are a LOT of health conditions that can lead to weak bones. Food allergies are one, people with food allergies don't absorb nutrition correctly so their bones are not as strong. Cancer treatments can really mess up bones. (I knew a boy BORN with cancer who was treated successfully -- would he talk about it in grade school? He does not really even remember it because all the treatments were under age 3.) Lots of genetic conditions that you look completely normal leave you with less than perfect bones. No one looking at a child and not knowing the whole picture can just say the only way to get broken bones is abuse.

Just something to think about. Have you all read the child's complete medical files? Also those of the parents? Many times these conditions are diagnosed BECAUSE of too many broken bones and it could be that the problem is not even in the medical chart yet.

Treat the child kindly and let him have his space. If you have seen someone be abusive to him, let the authorities know about it.