Best Way to Help Your Child to Deal with Fractures

A fracture is a partial or complete break of a bone. If the bone is cracked on one side and buckled on the other, it’s known as a greenstick fracture. These are common in children’s limb bones and usually heal quickly.

What to look for

A fracture is obvious if the bone is floppy or if it’s poking through a wound in the skin, when it’s known as an open fracture.

Suspect a fracture if the injury is painful, tender, swollen or bruised, if the child can’t move the part at all, if movement is restricted or if the pain is worse when the child moves. Sometimes, however, a child with a fractured bone only has slight discomfort.

What you can do

Don’t move the child, if it can be avoided, particularly if there is any possibility of a fractured back, neck or pelvis.

• If you suspect a fractured skull and there is a discharge from the ear, turn the child so that side is down.
• If you suspect anyfracture:
• Check whether the child is breathing, has a heartbeat, is bleeding or is shocked, and treat accordingly.
• Telephone for an ambulance.
• Don’t give anything to eat or drink.
• Keep the injured part as still as possible to avoid damage from the broken ends of bone.
• Gently smooth some comfrey (knitbone) ointment into the skin over the injured part to aid healing.
• If you have to move the child, first immobilize the joints above and below the injured part. If you don’t have bandages and slings you can improvise with scarves, tights, ties and torn fabric. Anything used to cover an open wound must be clean and preferably sterile.

For a fractured elbow: if bent, treat like a broken arm; if straight, put soft padding between the arm and trunk, and bandage the whole arm to the body.

For broken ribs: support the arm on the injured side in a sling.

For a broken ankle or foot: Support the leg in a raised position to reduce swelling.

For a fractured leg: put soft padding between the legs, then bandage the injured leg to the good one, avoiding binding over the break.

For a broken arm: place soft padding between the arm and chest, and support the arm in a sling. Secure the arm comfortably to the chest with a broad bandage across the sling.