Bones
Clicks and Pops
Sometimes, when you pick Lucy up, you hear a popping sound coming from her shoulder or elbow. Don’t worry; she isn’t broken. It’s just the sound of the cartilage and bone giving a bit, which produces a click.
Bone Injury
Since they have few opportunities to hurt themselves, infants rarely suffer broken bones. Nonetheless, breaks can happen, typically either from trauma or twisting. A broken bone usually produces a persistent crying and/or a noticeable deformation in the limb. In either case, make sure Lucy receives medical attention immediately.
In Children
Bones can break in many ways: direct trauma, a fall, or a trapped limb. After a limb injury, if there is no swelling and the pain subsides enough to let activity resume, it’s probably not a broken bone. Any deformity or swelling, or a persistent limp, requires medical attention, especially if there is an associated open wound.
If Jimmy has sustained a fracture, your doctor will apply a cast to the affected limb for three to six weeks, depending on the nature and severity of the injury. When the cast is applied, the pain subsides markedly. Before that happens, you can give Jimmy acetaminophen or ibuprofen to alleviate the discomfort until the pain has diminished. Broken fingers and toes are often splinted together to restrict movement, while broken noses and collarbones are seldom immobilized, because of their inherently limited range of motion.