# broken clavicle in toddler



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Anyone BTDT? Any tips? DD2 is only 2, and no one had a sling small enough for her so we left with nothing.







She hasn't ben too thrilled without anything that I've tried to rig up either. She cries when you pick her up or try to move her so she has a free pass to watch TV right now so she'll stay still.


----------



## Lisoula (Jan 9, 2006)

When DS1 was almost 4, he broke his clavicle, but luckily our "stat-care" type place had a small enough sling. We left there with that, and some liquid codeine - which turned him into a very mean little boy, so I didn't use it. We opted for lots of children's Motrin, which I don't use that often, but figured it would help with the inflammation. We iced his clavicle on an hour and off an hour for about 2 days. Honestly for the first few days we totally babied him and let him sit and watch TV/DVD's all he wanted, because the slightest movement really hurt him. Bathing him was tricky. It got so black and blue and swollen...it looked terrible.

By day 5 or 6 he didn't even need the sling, but I made him keep it on most of the day anyway until the 2 week mark as per the ortho guy's instructions. We went back about 6 weeks after the initial visit and it was totally healed per the X-ray - amazing!


----------



## emaye_to_2 (Jan 16, 2008)

I'm sorry to hear that. My DD is two also and just fractured her shoulder. They found her a small sling, I'd demand one or call around, who did you see? Also, when she was born she fractured her arm on delivery. At that time the orthopedist recommended we place her arm across her chest and pin her t-shirt to stay in place.. I don't know if that might work for you.


----------



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

We went to the largest orthopedics office in the area, they are clients of my DH's so they literally met us at the door and rushed us in. The smallest sling they had was an x-small child's which just swallowed her, if they don't have one that fit her then I know no one in the area will, we are quite rural. And with how slow the mail is getting here I know if I order one then by the time we finally get it, she won't need one anymore. They did mention pining the shirt but said it really only works for babies.


----------



## kjbrown92 (Dec 13, 2007)

My DS had the broken clavicle upon delivery and that arm was pinned to his shirt for 2-3 weeks, I think.

DD2 broke hers when she was 18 months old. She didn't use that arm for about an hour (and we didn't realize she broke the collarbone - had it checked out by the nurse next door). She climbed up on the bunk bed and everything else anyway. Two weeks later I felt the knot on her collarbone and went straight to the doctor. He said, yeah, she broke it, didn't need to do anything for it. So obviously she wasn't in very much pain. About two months later she jumped off the counter in the kitchen (sound like a banshee? she is!!) and landed on the tile floor. She didn't use her arm so I brought her right to the ER this time. That time she ended up with a broken arm. She only left the sling on about a minute. Luckily the cast stayed on.

When I was little I broke my collarbone, and I remember being in a brace type thing with foam across the back (I was 3 and I remember my grandmother chasing me trying to put it back on).

Is there any sort of medical supply place around? If you went to an orthopedist, they would have given you something if it was needed, it seems like.


----------



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kjbrown92* 
My DS had the broken clavicle upon delivery and that arm was pinned to his shirt for 2-3 weeks, I think.

DD2 broke hers when she was 18 months old. She didn't use that arm for about an hour (and we didn't realize she broke the collarbone - had it checked out by the nurse next door). She climbed up on the bunk bed and everything else anyway. Two weeks later I felt the knot on her collarbone and went straight to the doctor. He said, yeah, she broke it, didn't need to do anything for it. So obviously she wasn't in very much pain. About two months later she jumped off the counter in the kitchen (sound like a banshee? she is!!) and landed on the tile floor. She didn't use her arm so I brought her right to the ER this time. That time she ended up with a broken arm. She only left the sling on about a minute. Luckily the cast stayed on.

When I was little I broke my collarbone, and I remember being in a brace type thing with foam across the back (I was 3 and I remember my grandmother chasing me trying to put it back on).

Is there any sort of medical supply place around? If you went to an orthopedist, they would have given you something if it was needed, it seems like.

LOL, that was us as well. She fell last night, I assessed her (I'm an RN), and everything moved and appeared fine. I was more concerned about a head injury because she fell quite hard on her head, it wasn't until this morning when she woke up crying about her neck and wouldn't move her arm that I realized she had broken her collarbone. And yep, sure enough she had.







The orthopods had wanted her in a sling but then just gave up when we couldn't get anything to work, I thought at the time that I could get something to work at home, but haven't been able to. So I've just been keeping her as calm and still as possible with a 2y anyway! Thanks for the suggestions.


----------



## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

Between this and then a whole row of safety pins along her sleeve, she doesn't use the arm that much.









http://picasaweb.google.com/PeonyMam...78453816817042


----------



## tanyalynn (Jun 5, 2005)

A friend's daughter broke her collarbone a few years ago, her daughter was around 2, plus or minus a few months. They didn't use a sling, not sure if one was offered or not (the mom never mentioned turning one down, and also didn't mention wanting/needing one and not being able to find one that fit), I think they just tried to take it a bit easy for a few days, but she seemed to heal well and for them it wasn't too traumatic (except for the feelings of guilt, because it took a full day to realize that being knocked over next to the swing had caused any problems at all).


----------

