There is nothing scarier than when your child gets hurt. As your little one starts crawling, climbing, and discovering the world around them, your role is to keep your child safe but still give them freedom to try things.
While bumps and bruises are common, sometimes a fall or accident can lead to a broken bone (also called a fracture). Bone breaks are among the most common childhood injuries.
While you can’t protect your child from every injury, being vigilant and prepared can help. Let’s walk through what to watch for, what to do if your child gets a fracture, and how to support your little one through the healing process.
What Bones Are Most Commonly Broken in Infants & Children
For infants and children under age 5, the most commonly broken bones include:
- Broken Collarbone (Clavicle): The collarbone is one of the most frequently broken bones in young children, often due to falls or even during birth.
- Broken Arm: Young kids often fall on an outstretched arm or injure their arms while roughhousing, playing, or participating in sports. This can lead to fractured arms, specifically the humerus (in the upper arm) or ulna and radius (in the lower arm).
- Broken Legs: As kids learn how to move and use their bodies, trips, stumbles, or toddler tumbles off furniture tend to happen. As a result, fractures in the leg can happen.
- Broken Fingers and Toes: Little fingers and toes are easy to jam or catch in doors or toys, leading to injury and fractures.
Most fractures in young children heal quickly with the right care. Their bones are more flexible than adults’, which means they bend more before breaking.
Signs of Broken Bones in Children
Not sure if it’s a bump or a break? If a child has broken a bone, they will be in a lot of pain, the area will be swollen, and they will be unable or unwilling to move. Key signs to watch for include:
- Swelling, redness, or bruising in the injured area
- The child avoids using that limb and won’t crawl, reach, or walk
- Shows signs of pain when touched or moved, like crying or flinching
- The limb looks bent or out of shape
- The child is extra fussy or unable to calm down
What to Do If Your Child Breaks a Bone
If you think your child may have a broken bone, it’s always best to check with your pediatrician or visit urgent care. Trust your instincts—you know your child best.
Don’t Panic
We know how upsetting it can be to see your child hurt. The good news is that most broken bones in young children heal, especially with quick and gentle care. By staying calm and regulating your own emotions, you can help keep your child calm as well.
Keep Your Child Calm and Still
If your little one is crying or frightened, offer comfort and do your best to keep them from moving the injured area. Use pillows, rolled-up towels, a magazine, or your own hands to support the limb gently while you transport them to the doctor.
Seek Medical Care Promptly
If your child has a broken leg or the bone is showing, do not attempt to move them. Keep them still and call 911.
If the injury is in the arm and not open, call your pediatrician or head to urgent care or the emergency room. Let the medical professionals know the key signs you’re seeing, such as being inconsolable or in obvious pain, not bearing weight, or anything that looks severe or out of place so they can best support you.
When you arrive at the hospital, generally the doctor will examine the area and take some X-rays to help better diagnose the problem.
Different Types of Fractures
Not all broken bones are the same. Doctors generally use the word fracture to describe any break in a bone, whether it’s a small crack or a full break. Knowing the different types can help you understand your child’s diagnosis and what to expect for healing.
Greenstick fractures: Most fractures in children are classified as greenstick fractures, where the bone breaks on one side because it has been bent but doesn’t break all the way through. Children’s bones are more flexible than adults so they more often bend before breaking.
Buckle or Torus Fracture: A torus fracture is where the bone is weakened but not broken. It’s a stable fracture, meaning the bone hasn’t moved out of place. This type of fracture usually heals quickly with a splint or cast.
Complete Fracture: A complete fracture means the bone breaks all the way through. While these fractures can still heal well, they may require a more supportive cast or brace to ensure alignment during the healing process.
Growth Plate Fracture: Sometimes a child can break their growth plate, which needs to be followed closely by a pediatrician. Growth plates are soft areas at the ends of a child’s bones that help the bones grow properly, so ongoing monitoring is key.
How To Support Your Child After a Broken Bone or Injury
In addition to the physical pain breaking a bone causes for your child, there may also be some emotional things they will go through as a result of an injury. As your child is being treated and healing, it’s important to focus on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
“Focus on creating a calm and supportive environment, along with open communication, to help children navigate potential feelings of fear, frustration, or sadness they may experience during their recovery,” said Mark Stevens, Director of Health Services at Penfield Children’s Center.
Provide Age-Appropriate Explanations
Your child may not understand what’s happening. In an age-appropriate way, explain as much as you can about what your child can expect. Helping them understand what’s going on can help reduce anxiety and create a sense of safety.
For example, calmly explain to them that they have to go to the hospital so a doctor can check the injury and help them feel better.
Be Extra Patient With Them
Your child will likely be very sore. Children will often experience swelling, bruising, and tenderness with broken bones. This can lead to fussiness, frustration, and difficulty moving the affected area.
Be patient and encouraging with them as they adjust to the injury.
Reduce Anxiety Around Doctor Visits
Visiting a hospital can be scary for a child, especially if they have not visited one before. This can cause ongoing emotional distress during follow-ups and future appointments.
Try to find ways to make follow-up doctors’ appointments fun so they don’t become a source of anxiety. Stickers, small toys, ice cream, or other treats can help them associate visiting the doctor with positive things. Words of encouragement (“You’re so brave!”) can also be helpful.
Teach Responsibility
Use this as an opportunity to teach your little one about self-care and responsibility in an age-appropriate way. Explain how well they take care of the broken bone will impact how well it heals.
Make sure your child eats a healthy diet that has plenty of calcium and vitamin D, takes good care of the cast/splint, and follows the doctor’s directions for rest or exercises. Set routines and boundaries around these important tasks to help your little one thrive.
Ease Back Into Activities
Even after the child is physically healed, they may experience fear of breaking a bone again while doing activities they once loved.
It’s a good idea to encourage small steps but be sure to give them time and space. If you feel the child is experiencing excessive stress and anxiety post-injury, seek professional help to address any mental health concerns.
Healing A Broken Bone Takes Time
Each injury will impact the child differently depending on the severity of the broken bone, the age and temperament of the child, and the healing progression.
Be patient and open with the process and reach out to a doctor if you have concerns about any changes you see in your child’s behavior.
If you want more tips for navigating early childhood development and other health, safety, and educational issues, the team at Penfield Children’s Center has your back.
