Collarbones

In Newborns

Collarbone or clavicle fractures can happen at birth, especially to large babies, for whom the birth canal is a tight squeeze. Because this bone is soft, the break rarely presents any symptoms, not even pain. Lucy’s collarbone will just have a bump, which becomes less noticeable within a few weeks.

In Children
When an older child breaks his collarbone, it’s usually the result of rough play. Some telling signs include pain on moving the arm and deformity of the collarbone. If you think Jimmy has a broken collarbone, take him to the doctor. The injury is moderately painful, but it’s easily managed with pain medications in the first couple of days. Simple breaks are treated with a bandage around the torso to keep the arm and collarbone down and reduce the pain. Your doctor may even choose to leave a broken collarbone alone, since these bandages have limited effectiveness.