My 4-month old was bit by another baby at the daycare. Shouldn't they have called to let us know?!!?

Question

It happened at 10:30am, and they even had to apply ice to his bruised left cheek. My wife and I are outraged!! No one called and told us, so yesterday my wife had to find out when she went to pick him up. (Yet, they have called us in the past just to say "the baby is very congested and won't take his bottle".) After speaking with the director, she claims she did not think it was necessary to call us!!
Needless to say, we will most likely be switching daycare providers. We are very unhappy with the way the situation was handled. We pay A LOT of money for them to make sure our baby is safe!!!
Is that unreasonable?

Some of you keep making the generalizations about how it works for children in general, but we are talking about a 4 MONTH OLD, not 4 yr old. My son can not walk, crawl, roll over, etc. He was on the floor for "tummy time" and another baby crawled over to him and pounced on top of him and bit him. The other baby is much bigger, and can crawl, stand up, hold his own bottle, etc. My son was TOTALLY DEFENSELESS!! I think that is absolutely ridiculous!!

Answer 1

You certainly should have been called. Having to apply an "ice pack" means that your child was probably feeling a bit of pain. In addition to changing day care providers, you should also contact the corporate office of the center and file a complaint with them.

mb

Answer 2

Biting is a common occurance in any childare setting. I have worked in a daycare for a few years and have provided home childcare for 12 years.

I understand your feelings, I am a mother of 4, and I must say that all have been biten at some time or other. You expect your child to be kept safe and loved.

The normal practice in a biting situation is to record the incident and inform the parents upon pickup. If a child is sick or hurt the parent is called immediately. If a child is displaying unusual behavior, the parent may be called but decision is made on a case by case basis.

You can switch childare providers if you feel necessary but be aware that it is not the answer to the biting problem. Some children bite when frustrated and don't know how to display that. I have even had a few babies that have biten, trying to show affection.

Hope this helps! :o)

Answer 3

I have been an infant-toddler teacher for five years. It is NOT routine for the day care to call if a child is bitten unless the skin is broken and bleeding. Applying ice and washing the bite are routine first aid for a bite. It is normal for them to have an incident report for you to sign when you come pick your child up. It was not neccessary to call you. I agree with the director, but you could tell them that if it happens again you want to be called. The way that the situation was handled at this day care is likely to be the same at the next. I understand that you pay alot of money for them to keep your baby safe, and I am sure that is what they are trying to do. Young children are fast, and biting is a stage that many children go through during the infant and toddler periods. Even if they were watching them and right next to the biter, it could have been a spare of the moment situation with a child who has never bit before. If the child has a history of biting then they should be shaddowed closely. The teacher's are also not allowed to tell you the name of the child who bit your son. I would not be so quick to change day cares. They were more concerned about him not taking his bottle because actually that is more serious. He could have become dehydrated. Human bites that do not break the skin and even those that do that recieve the proper first aid are not life threatening or dangerous to ones health.

Answer 4

Sad to say, but biting is one of the things you'll have to deal with when you put your child in daycare. It does seem odd that a child with teeth was allowed in the infant area, or do they just have all the kids in one area? There is also the possibility that another infant has teeth (I know of a 3 month old with 4 teeth!).

My girls have each been bitten at daycare. I never recieved a phone call. When I picked them up at the end of the day, I was informed and signed an "incident report," which the other parent of the biter had to sign as well. I honestly don't expect them to call for something small like a bite. Now, had the skin been broken, that would be another story. Ask what their policy is. Usually if a child bites 3 times, they're history. Just ask. Best of luck.

P.S. my daycare applies ice any time there is any sort of a "boo-boo." It just makes the kids feel better and prevents any possible swelling.

**Edited to add** I understand you're upset. You're a new parent and very protective, as well you should be. But you will come to realize these things happen, even to small children. It did not kill your child or seriously injure him. If you choose to move your child to another daycare setting, there is still the risk of it happening again. They cannot give your child constant and undivided attention when there are 2, 3, or 4 other babies to watch as well. You also should probably read their policies a little better next time or ask their policies. Chances are,they'll be similar. If you want constant and undivided attention, you'll need to seek out private, in home care. Best of luck to you and your baby.

Answer 5

I run and in home day care. I don't call the parents every time their child is bitten. I use my judgment if it' something that the skin is broken and it's bleeding than I would call the parents. But most of the time it is just teeth marks because I have caught them before they did any damage to the skin or the child was really not aiming to bite hard. I will wash the bite mark off with soap and water and I will apply ice just to help if it's going to bruise. Than when the parent arrives I will notify them at that time.
With a four month old I would check on the teacher to child ratio. What age group of children is in the room with your child. For a four month old to get bitten in a day care center someone was not doing their job. I would have notified you as parent because of the child's age plus if this was my child and they were only four months old than I would want to be called.
I ran two head start programs before I started doing in home. I know that we had 6 weeks to three years old in a classroom together but we had to have an area blocked off for the infants that where not mobile so that they could have tummy time. We had 8 children with two teachers. Good Luck!!

Answer 6

Hi there, I am a daycare provider in California and I watch infants and toddlers at the same time and I would never leave the baby and toddler together unless I am sitting right there and if something like that did happen, I would call the parent or parents as soon as possible. Either let them know how you feel about not being notified or I would look for a new daycare. Good Luck

Answer 7

You have every right to be upset! A 4 month old being bitten by another child bad enough to need an ice pack means that not only your child, but the children in this room at the daycare, are not being watched nearly as close as they need. I have worked in a daycare and know that they normally put children with others their age maybe just a little younger or older, but generally, in the same age/development group. I say this because most 4 month old babies are teething, are barely scooting or just crawling and have only a few teeth. Think about how long your child and the one who bit were left unnoticed. These babies had to get close enough to one another, then the biter was chewing on your little ones cheek long enough to hurt. That is way too long of time to not be seen, and if they were seen, then nothing was done to separate them. I would not only complain to the director, but I would also file a complaint with your local health board that checks in with daycare facilities for licensing. With older children, toddlers and such things can happen really fast, but with younger ones, this takes more time and that is scary for your child and all the other ones in that facility. Write a complaint that will allow other parents to see what can happen if there are not serious changes made, at least the daycare should strongly reprimand the worker(s) in charge of that room.

Answer 8

I think you do have every right to be upset, but I also think as parents we have to look at the big situation...

I am not sure what age groups are in your daycare, but I know that when I worked in that setting we had babues as young as six weeks to ten months... some of our babues were established walkers and crawlers so the are scootin all over the place... Even with lots of eyes on our babies things happen...

I couldn't imagine being called everytime my daughter got some type of ouchie at school... Things like biting are awful, but infortunately it is likely to happen no matter what day care you put him in... If you have been satisfied up to this point with his care and generally all the kids seem well taken care of I would think twice about moving him...

Voice your concerns, and let them know that you would like to be called each time there is any type of ouchie regardless of how serious,,, I doubt they will have any issues with complying...

I know from personal expereience both as a parent that a good day care is hard to find. Thin k about it before you make changes....

Answer 9

She agreed that once the newborn became 2 you may make different preparations. The time has come. Remind her that she agreed to that concept and tell her that that's ideal to your daughter's social progression if she is going to a daycare with different babies. she will probably attempt to guilt you into reconsidering, and your husband might opt to offer you grief as nicely, yet on the top of the day you could desire to choose what's nice to your newborn. communicate on your husband and do what you think of is nice. That woman needless to say does not opt to provide up her $4 hundred and he or she has been spoiled. there is limitless issues she will do, from her very own residence too, to make money. And her husband's interest might desire to truly be bringing in money. reliable success and undergo in strategies this in case you have yet another newborn.

Answer 10

I have two children in daycare. My youngest who is 8 months has not been injured, but when my 2 year old is hurt they do not call me. I get a report when I pick her up. It basically lists what happened, what time, what kind of injury and what treatment was applied. Unless it was a very serious injury, I wouldn't expect a call from daycare. Honestly, if I got a call in the middle of the day and was told my child was bit, it would only make me worry through the rest of the day and I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my job.

Answer 11

I am a daycare provider and I have had to deal with situations similar to yours, but never with a baby so small as a 4 month old. First of all, the older children--especially the biters--should not even be able to reach a baby only 4 months old.
As for them not calling you, this is simply unacceptable. Anytime a child is injured to an extend that requires First Aid treatment or more then the parents should be notified as soon as the situation is under control. I don't call the parents over every little thing like simple diaper rash, small falls, or boo-boos that can be fixed with a band-aid and a kiss. But bites definantly warrant a call to both the parents of the child bitten and the biter.
The daycare should take prompt action against the biter and you should have no trouble terminating your contract with them. Good for you for finding a new center.