Bone fractures are very common among children under the age of six, and falls cause most fractures in this age group. Trauma, children’s fractures rarely require surgical repair. healthychildren“.
Signs and symptoms:
It is not always easy to tell when a bone is broken, especially if your child is too young to describe how it feels. Usually with a fracture, you will notice swelling and your child will be clearly in pain and unable to move the affected limb.
first aid :
1- Use an improvised sling as a splint to protect the injury from unnecessary movement.
2- Do not give the child anything by mouth to drink or to relieve pain without consulting a doctor first, but if your child is older, you can use a cold compress or a cold towel placed on the site of the injury to reduce the pain.
3- Extreme cold can cause injury to the sensitive skin of infants and young children, so do not use ice with young children.
4- If you break your child’s leg, do not try to move him yourself. Call the ambulance numbers; Let the paramedics supervise his transfer.
5- If part of the injury is open and bleeding, or if the bone is protruding through the skin, apply forceful pressure to the wound; Then cover it with clean gauze (preferably sterile).
6- Do not try to put the bone under the skin after treating this injury, be aware of any fever that may indicate an infection of the wound.
The medical treatment:
1- After examining the fracture, the doctor will order an x-ray to determine the extent of the damage, if the doctor suspects that the bone growth plate is affected, or if the bones are out of line, it will be necessary to consult an orthopedist.
2. Because children’s bones heal quickly and well, a cast or fiberglass cast, or sometimes just a cast, is all you need for most minor fractures.
3- In cases of “joking fracture”, the orthopedic surgeon may have to realign the bones, where the surgeon uses local or general anesthesia.
4- The splint usually helps reduce pain. If your child has increased pain, numbness, pale or blue fingers, contact your doctor immediately. These are signs that the limb has swollen and requires more space inside the cast.
5- If the cast is not set, the swelling may press on nerves, muscles, and blood vessels, which can lead to permanent damage. To relieve pressure, the doctor may split the cast, open a window in it, or replace it with a larger one..