bruising?

Our little DS has had bruising around his knees for weeks now. It comes and goes and now it's really starting to worry me as I've just seen that it's spread onto the back of his leg onto the hamstring area :( We showed the community health nurse about 3 weeks ago and she said it was probably from the strapping DS had but I think he'd had that off for a couple of weeks at that stage so I wasn't too sure. DS had his feet crossed over each other in the womb so when he was born his feet turned in slightly. We were taking him to a pediatric physio to get them strapped, which is just like wrapping tape around his whole legs, right up to his lower back. The tape did go around his knees so maybe that was the cause of it... But I can't remember if he had the bruising even at birth. Certainly not as bad as it is now but I recall a really small bit of spider vein looking bruising around his knees in the hospital? Gosh I really don't remember for sure though if it was in hospital or after the 1st strapping, which was when he was 4 or 5 days old. Funny how you don't remember and it seems like no big deal until you think it's become a problem. So I'm wondering if anyone else has had bruising on their baby and if it's ok to put arnica cream on it? And does anyone else have any ideas on what could be causing it to go away and then flare up again? That is also a reason I don't think it was the strapping because it seems to get better and then flare up again. I thought it could be the MCN's or lifting his legs up to change nappies? I honestly can't think of anything else.. oh maybe kicking the ball on his play gym? That's a bit of a stretch I know but I'm really at a loss. Any help would be great.

I would get him checked out - TBH he is so little that any kind of impact trauma seems unlikely to be the cause. A friend of mine had something similar with her DS, who was about 18 months at the time from memory, so more likely to be bumping himself, but he was getting bruises in places you just wouldn't bump IYKWIM. It turned out to be some kind of blood disorder -- nothing particularly serious and completely treatable, so nothing to freak out about but definitely worth a visit to the GP.

I agree with the PP. If anything to put your mind at ease :)

Thanks girls. I've been thinking of it so much and was even wondering if the baby massage I have been doing is too firm? But then he'd be getting bruised all over? And dh and I are the only ones who really handle him and we are gentle so I can't even say that it's from being passed around to lots of different people. I can't even remember if we asked the pediatrician about it? One of the health nurses suggested that it could end up being a birth mark? Gosh I hope not. I'm not a huge fan of GP's but the one I saw a few weeks ago was pretty good so I'll book him in and ask the health nurse tomorrow as we have our parents group on at the community health center.

If you have a paed and feel more comfortable going direct to them then do that - it might just end up saving you one step out of the process. :crossfingers: everything is fine xx

Thanks pixie, I spoke to dh about it again tonight and we decided to call the pediatric physio tomorrow and ask her if it's common to have bruising after the strapping, maybe it just hasn't had a chance to heal? If she can't help us than we are going to go straight to the pediatrician. The more I think about it the more upset I'm getting, I hope the little fella is ok, I'm really worried about him :(

Just thought I'd post the outcome in case someone else has this problem down the track and finds this thread. We took DS to the dr today, just the GP at this stage as they bulk bill so thought if we didn't get any answers from him we'd then go to the pead. The GP said it would be from the strapping on his legs and it certainly can show up weeks after the 'trauma' that being the compression of the strapping on his legs. He said that it's not a birth mark because it's be very unlikely to be on both legs around the knees like that and considering DS did have his legs strapped then that is the most likely reason. What we were mainly concerned about is the length of time it's been there and that it comes and goes in severity and why it wasn't going away but the GP said it's all normal and it will heal. Thank God because I was really worried.

That's great cherished, glad the doc could put your mind at ease :hug: