Children are vulnerable to several different types of injuries while they are growing up. Every other injury has some consequences one way or the other. Well, some can pass quickly with short-term pain while others might lead your child to trauma and health issues for a longer period.
As a mother, you are really sensitive about your child. All mothers are. No one wants to see their child getting hurt and then suffer from a time of discomfort and persistent pain.
What Is The Most Common Childhood Injury With Long-Lasting Effects?
Different incidents like sports and falls can cause bruises on your children. However, these issues are temporary and do not last for a very long time. Fractures on the other hand can come with some serious health complications. Children have really weak bones that are still in a developing phase. As compared to adult bones, they are easily hurt, damaged, and even broken.
How Can Fractures Occur In Children?
There are multiple reasons why children can sustain fractures. You really don’t see kids just sitting and minding their own business. There are a lot of reasons why children sustain fractures:
- Injuries are caused due to contact sports like football.
- Falling from a height.
- Car accidents. (which is quite common here in Conyers GA)
- Weak bones
- Orthopedic conditions
What Are Complicated Fractures?
Although there are a lot of fractures that, with proper medical treatment can cause no health complications in the longer run, there are certain fractures that you might need to focus more on.
A complicated fracture can lead to further issues even after the bone has been fixed. It is regarded as:
- A fracture that causes a bone to break from multiple portions.
- A fracture that causes nerve damage.
- A fracture that causes muscle and tissue wear and tear.
- A fracture that causes the bones to shatter.
- They will restrict the normal moving range of motion of your child and immobilize the affected part until the bones have healed properly. A plaster of Paris application is required in this scenario.
- Finally, they will determine the type of cast that needs to be in the fractured region. Some fractures require complete immobility while others are just okay with a partial cast. This is for your doctor to decide. A fractured body part is normally left on the cast for at least a month.
How to Take Care of My Child At Home?
Once back from the hospital, it is completely up to you how to take care of your little one who just suffered from an unwanted physical setback. But that’s fine. With proper healthcare tips and techniques, you can easily take care of your child.
Make Them Rest
Despite looking like a physical blow, it can have some serious consequences on a child’s mental health. You need to make sure that they do not get out of bed for at least weeks. If you have to carry them to the bathroom do that but do not make them put more stress on their already troubled body. Resting will give them time to relax and evaluate their mental health. As a mother, you must be looking forward to all the details. But remember; don’t push them to tell you everything especially if they do not want to.
Monitor Pain
Because of this accident, suffering from pain is quite common.
- You need to make sure to monitor the intensity of pain in children.
- Keep a track of swelling and redness in the areas around the fracture.
- Make sure that the cast is dry. Be vigilant when giving a bath. Protect the fractured region of your kid with plastic. Wet plaster can become damaged and the skin can get really irritated.
- You need to make sure that the injured area is placed at an elevated level. If the fracture is serious, the doctor might keep you at the hospital for a couple of days.
Importance of Follow-Up
Even if your kid has cured of the fracture, you need to take your child to a doctor. They will recheck and confirm if the fracture has been cured or not.
● If you need further assistance, your doctor will refer your kid to an orthopedic doctor in Conyers GA. Orthopedic doctors will make sure that the bone structure is repaired properly and there are no further complications.
Complicated fractures take more time to recover and you might need to visit your orthopedic doctor in Conyers GAfor a long-term checkup.
Symptoms of Fracture
Older children can easily tell you if they are feeling any kind of discomfort after an accident. They tend to be more expressive towards anything that causes discomfort. Younger kids like infants and toddlers are expressive but they do not usually point out the part that is causing them pain. A few major symptoms you need to look out for if you suspect your child has a fracture are:
If you think your child has a fracture, they may have the following symptoms:
- Dislocated bone
- Soreness and swelling that continues to grow around the affected area
- Inability to move the affected region
- Redness around fractured part
- Deformity of bones that are fractured
- Crying and pointing
Children can have symptoms without a visible deformity. Little fractures do not show visible symptoms but you can always judge by swelling and redness.
What to Do If My Child Has Sustained a Fracture?
It’s okay. Understandably, it hurts you as a mother that your child is in a huge amount of pain. But there is no need to panic. We will discuss in detail what you need to do if you suspect that your child has a fracture. Continue.
Treatment and Medical Assistance
Undoubtedly, this should be the first thing on your list. Without any further ado, take your child immediately to the ER or an accident injury doctor if you believe that an accident has caused the fracture.
- Before treating it thoroughly, doctors will provide your kid with a first aid treatment as an attempt to provide relief from the discomfort and to reduce the swelling. Kids can be prescribed strong painkillers like ibuprofen to reduce pain.
- Once rested, the doctor will examine the entire area and ask the child for parts that hurt the most. Imaging tests like x-rays are more common to determine fractures in children because this way you are not hurting them even more.
- In other cases, children are also recommended to seek services of a chiropractic specialist and physical therapist.
- If your child is into sports and physical activities, the doctor will tell you when to send them back to the normal lifestyle after the cast is removed. In the case of post-fracture surgery, you need to make sure that your child stays away from vigorous sports and physical activities.
Conclusion
Many children suffer from fractures. You need to make sure that the child is getting proper treatment for the fracture. Children can suffer from fractures due to many different reasons. Regardless of the reason, you need to have a solid understanding of the fracture. Accident injury doctors can help your child cope with an accident injury. You can also file for compensation if the accident wasn’t your fault.
