A Toddler’s fracture is a small break, often referred to as a ‘hair-line fracture’, to the shin bone (tibia), the large bone in the lower part of the leg. This type of injury is typically caused by a minor fall or a simple twisting of the leg and is very common in children under 3 years of age.
Hearing us say your child has a ‘fracture’ sounds serious. The good news is, that your child has a minor injury – the bones are stable and held in the right place, no procedures are needed, and your child will make a full recovery.
What tests will be done?
Your child may have an x-ray. The nurse practitioner or doctor will make this decision based on the history of the injury, their examination, and the age of your child. Toddler’s fractures don’t always show up on the first x-ray because they are so small.
What is the treatment?
The nurse practitioner or doctor will discuss a treatment plan with you as it is not always necessary to immobilise the leg with a plaster cast or moonboot. Your child may only require simple painkillers such as Paracetamol (calpol) and Ibuprofen, and rest.
What should we do when we get home?
We recommend that you give your child regular paracetamol (calpol) and/or ibuprofen for the first 48 hours. Your child will adapt to having sore leg and will change their play for this. This means they may go back to crawling or may just want to be carried. If they want to walk that is absolutely fine.
If you feel that your child is too sore despite having regular painkillers, please bring them to the Emergency Department so we can review them.
Follow-up
It may be several weeks before your child walks normally again. They often walk with a limp, or their foot turned out initially but this will improve.
If your child is not walking normally 4 weeks after the injury, please contact the Emergency Department on 0131 312 0007 or 0131 312 0008 and ask for a face-to-face review clinic appointment.
