28 Jun DAYCARE INJURIES: COMMON ACCIDENTS OR SIGNS OF ABUSE?
Posted By Gruenberg Kelly Della || 28-Jun-2017
Every parent trusts that their child will be cared for and safely supervised at daycare, but often children can come home with little bumps and scrapes. Often these injuries are just a result of playing and interacting with other children. Sometimes, however, these injuries can be signs of abuse. Learn the common injuries that children get in daycare, and how you can tell if there is a more serious cause behind your child’s injuries.
Common Daycare Injuries
Children are natural explorers, and often test the limits of what their developing bodies are capable of. As a parent, you’re probably familiar with falls and bump limbs and heads as your child learns to control their bodies and grows familiar with their abilities. Some injuries may be common to a daycare setting, but may not occur at home. If your child is injured, you should be notified by the daycare, even if the injury is minor.
Some common injuries at daycare can be:
- Minor scrapes. Falls, paper cuts, and other mishaps can cause minor scrapes or cuts. Children often lack coordination and sometimes are injured in small mishaps.
- Minor bruises. Children can sustain minor bruises from falls or bumping into objects. Coordination is still developing in young children and then can get random bruises easily, thanks to their delicate skin.
- Bites. As children develop social skills and interact with others, you can expect that there will be some incidents. Many children bite as a form of retaliation or to express frustration or anger. Daycare attendants should try to prevent these incidents, but they may still occur. The size of the imprint should be small to indicate that another child was the culprit.
- Getting hit. Sometimes fights break out between children, and your child may be hit by another child. Ask your child what happened in a quiet place away from daycare, and listen carefully to their side of the story.
- Broken bones. Active, risk-taking children are especially at risk for fractures. Your child may fall off playsets, trip, or slam into objects, causing broken bones. If your child sustains a broken bone, the daycare should call an ambulance and contact you immediately to let you know what happened. Talk to your child at home to learn what happened to cause the injury.
- Twisted ankles or sprains. As children develop coordination and develop their muscles, twisted ankles and sprains aren’t uncommon injuries. Encourage your child to be careful in the future, and talk to the daycare provider about the injury.
Signs of Abuse
Minor injuries are a part of growing up, and many kids sustain small injuries throughout the course of normal activities. In some cases though, your child’s injuries may be purposefully inflicted by and adult or another child. There are signs that can indicate that your child’s injuries have a deliberate cause.
Signs of abuse may include:
- Bruises in patterns or recognizable shapes, such as a handprint.
- Fighting with classmates.
- Frequent crying or emotional outbursts.
- Fear of going to school or daycare.
- Pain, itching, or bleeding around the genital areas.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Wetting the bed.
- Sexual curiosity beyond their age.
If your child tells you about an incident at daycare, support them. Even fantastical stories can be an indication of a problem. If these tales are paired with other signs, you should contact the authorities. If you are uncertain that your child may be suffering abuse, their pediatrician may be able to provide a second opinion. Share your suspicions with them and they can help put you in contact with resources to report the daycare. Even if you have already reported your child’s abuse, the doctor is legally required to report it as well.
If you need to report suspicions of daycare abuse, you can contact the New York State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment, the local Child Protective Services office, the county Department of Social Services, or the police. You only need to have reasonable suspicion of abuse to report a daycare for abuse. You do not need to prove your suspicions.
Childhood abuse is a heartbreaking occurrence, and if unreported, can affect hundreds of children. If your child has been the victim of daycare abuse, get in touch with our Long Island personal injury attorneys. At Gruenberg Kelly Della, we are dedicated to fighting for the rights of our clients, and we are committed to providing compassionate legal representation. Contact our offices today for a free case evaluation.