Health Visitor - Worried :(

Juice

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2012
Messages
1,769
Reaction score
0
Bethany had an accident whilst we were out a couple of weeks ago. She fell down a couple of steps and bumped her head. Dh was right there with her and caught her before she fell down any more, but she'd already hurt herself. We had to take her to a&e where they glued the cut on her head. It was horrible, she was so upset :(

So fast forward to today and I have a letter from Children's Community Services saying that an appointment has been made for a health visitor to come to our home next Tuesday. At first I didn't even think about the hospital trip and I was very confused, but after having a look at other forums it seems it's normal to be contacted by them after a trip to a&e.

However, Bethany was bitten by my uncle's dog when she was 11 months old and we never had a visit after that, and that was a much worse injury! So I'm worried this might be about something else. Dh said there's been a lot in the news recently about everyone being on the lookout for signs of domestic violence and this could be because I had bruises on my arms after my gtt and routine 28wk bloods the weeks before. I bruise badly whenever I have blood taken.

So, basically, can anyone say anything to put my mind at rest? Has anyone had a visit like this? What do they do/say when they come? I'm emotional and hormonal atm and this is stressing me out even more :(
 
Hi hun. I never had a visit from mine but I had a phone call to check if everything was okay after he'd broken his arm . I think it's protocol tbh hun. It may be just to check it's healing okay xxx
 
Didn't want to read and run. I haven't myself had any experience with this. But my cousins little lad fell off the bed when he was 8 months old and ended up in a&e. She too had a visit from HV and they basically went through how to keep him safe in home !! I won't lie she did say it was very patronising but I think it's jus protocol and that was after 1st time ! I'm sure it's just routine I wouldt worry. Accidents happen. Xx
 
I have no personal experience but I work with Children's Services and it will just be regular practice. Try not to worry, honestly health care professionals and social workers see things on a daily basis and really should be able to recognise the difference between accidental and non-accidental injuries. If no concern was raised with you at a&e it is obviously not considered an emergency situation so it's best you are just open and honest and I'm sure that will be the end of it xx
 
My friends little boy drank make up remover and went to A&E, she had a visit from HV or SS, nothing happened as a result ot was just routine to follow it up. My little boy went to hospital for breathing difficulties and we had a follow up call from a HV. x
 
My lo fell off his changing table at 9 months. We took him to hospital and he was absolutely fine. I was a mess right enough! Anyway a couple of months later I got a phone call from my HV just wanting to pop round for a chat. How nice I thought. Bit naive of me as after five minutes of chat I realised the hospital had informed my HV about the fall. It was all fine though, it is normal protocol and they are just doing their job xx
 
it seems there is no consistency in the approaches of different Trusts.

My LG had an a&e trip after drinking some olbas oil.. Apparently it's really toxic. I could/should have had a visit from the HV but nothing?

Are you sure they aren't coming about your pregnancy?
 
Yeah could be because ur expecting. With my 1st son I didn't see the health visitor before he was born but with my 2nd the health visitor came to see be before he was born. It's a new thing apparently so as torino said it might be that :) xx
 
I got told about the hv coming out in pregnancy being a new thing too x
 
Try not to worry.

James fell down a flight of concrete stairs when he was 13m (in his pram and I hadn't secured breaks - completely my fault and I admitted liability to the paramedics and every Dr and nurse in A&E.. Thankfully he was fine, just a bit of a bloody face) and we didn't have a visit BUT it was raised at our one year check a few weeks later.

To make matters worse he had been in hospital for 3 nights just the week before the accident (illness) but it was only the accident that flagged up.

I had a HV comment on bruising I had just after having James - my cannula had come lose during delivery and they had put it in my arm (upper wrist) which left me with awful brushing.. no massive fuss was made though.

I don't think HV 'coming out' is anything to worry about per se. We have ours coming out to do Bee's 1 year review next week (as opposed to us attending clinic). Apparently it's quite common for home visits now.

Sorry my post is a bit jumbled.

I'd say it's most likely a pregnancy visit too.

X
 
In our area its policy for HV to come out if a child has had 2 A+E visits due to accidents.
Saying that B had an accident at soft play which resulted in a hospital visit and a week later a head puncture wound that needed gluing back together and no one contacted us!
 
I was 29 weeks when our hv got in touch to say she was coming for a visit. She said its a new thing and its just to introduce themselves before baby arrived.
 
Could it not be a belated one year review? We suddenly received one at that age I rang and cancelled it because I wasn't too bothered.. He's seen the nurse a couple of months ago from the HV team.. She was dead nice, I've figured they're more helpful than our gp!
 
HV are now meant to come out around 32-34 weeks of pregnancy
I thought it was a bit pointless tbh but i think its more of an introduction so you dont have a brand new baby and they turn up when you're mega hormonal, tired, stressed and theyre firing loads of info at you and asking liads of questions x
 
Thanks for all your replies. It's definitely not a about my pregnancy as the envelope and letter were both addressed "To the parents of Bethany..."
We attended both her one year and 2 year check ups and there were no converns with development, so I can't imagine it would be a follow up from that.
If it is because of the accident, I have nothing to hide. Our home is well and truly secure - gates and door locks everwhere you look. And neither of the accidents she had that we went to a&e for happened at home anyway.

I'm just worried because I'm hormonal and stressed anyway lol
I think I'll give them a call and just see if they will tell me more than the very short letter I was sent.

Thanks again everyone, I feel much better from reading your replies! :)
 
Try not to worry. My son had a trip to a&e for something that happened to his leg (A&E thought it was a fracture and put a cast on his leg, 5 days later at the fracture clinic they couldn't see anything wrong and took the cast off)... anyway pretty much after every visit to A&E or hospital admission my HV always gives me a call - all other times aside from the one mentioned he's been in for viral induced wheeze.
 
Bethany had an accident whilst we were out a couple of weeks ago. She fell down a couple of steps and bumped her head. Dh was right there with her and caught her before she fell down any more, but she'd already hurt herself. We had to take her to a&e where they glued the cut on her head. It was horrible, she was so upset :(

So fast forward to today and I have a letter from Children's Community Services saying that an appointment has been made for a health visitor to come to our home next Tuesday. At first I didn't even think about the hospital trip and I was very confused, but after having a look at other forums it seems it's normal to be contacted by them after a trip to a&e.

However, Bethany was bitten by my uncle's dog when she was 11 months old and we never had a visit after that, and that was a much worse injury! So I'm worried this might be about something else. Dh said there's been a lot in the news recently about everyone being on the lookout for signs of domestic violence and this could be because I had bruises on my arms after my gtt and routine 28wk bloods the weeks before. I bruise badly whenever I have blood taken.

So, basically, can anyone say anything to put my mind at rest? Has anyone had a visit like this? What do they do/say when they come? I'm emotional and hormonal atm and this is stressing me out even more :(


My BIL fell down a couple of stairs with my niece who was a few days old. She didnt badly hurt herself but they went to A&E and as a result they had an appointment afterwards to follow up from the A&E incident.

Jackson has never fell down stairs or bumped his head so bad we have had to go to A&E. We have been to A&E and never had any follow ups. She has mentioned on the phone before. A few weeks ago we were at A&E because he fell off the swing and bumped his tooth and that was brought up in the catch up - just to see what had happened, what I did to sort it IE dentist follow ups and then moved on..

Perhaps its something to do with cause she fell down stairs they dont take any chances. As you know head injuries could have delayed reaction - Im sure your wee one is fine, but they will probably want to check that too.

Its not nice feeling under the microscope - hope everythings ok. Try not to worry, they arent called accidents for a reason. They happen. Sometimes when we are close enough and still cant help!

xxxx
 
Last edited:
When my youngest was born and my hv came to visit and was going through all the tick boxes she needed to go through she also said that if I ever took my lo to a&e then the hv team would be informed and they would in turn contact me to arrange a visit. However when I did take my lo to a&e I didn't get a call from anyone. So I think that's meant to be their procedure but I guess time constraints and resources determine if they do. So it might not be that consistent.x
 
Yes, the HV came on Tuesday. She said that certain injuries that are a result of certain accidents get followed up. She said they always follow up on head injuries and always follow up on falls down the stairs, and this was both! She also said that she wasn't aware that it didn't happen at home. She was happy with our baby gates and other baby-proofing we have in place. So she just stayed for 20 minutes, watched Beth play for a bit, asked us some general questions about her and then said she's looking forward to seeing us when the baby is born.
I feel silly for worrying, but I'm glad it's over!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
473,572
Messages
4,654,624
Members
110,012
Latest member
lauramayne90
Back
Top