My seventeen-month-old daughter spent an entire weekend with a broken leg, and we had no clue. I know, it sounds like I’m a terrible parent, but I assure you, I’m a caring and attentive mom. I’m confident in my parenting skills, just as I am in my own name. However, even the most devoted parent can occasionally overlook something, and that’s what happened to my sweet girl. I completely missed that she had buckle fractures in two bones in her left leg.
Understanding the Situation
First, let me explain that my daughter is a late walker. She occasionally takes steps, and there’s no medical reason for her delay. We’ve investigated it; she’s just taking her time. If she doesn’t pick up the pace soon, she might need a little physical therapy, but she’s perfectly fine.
Another factor complicating the situation was that she was battling three swollen molars trying to emerge from her gums. This detail will be important later.
So, was it my finest moment as a parent to overlook a broken leg? Probably not. But honestly, I’m not sure how we could’ve handled it differently. Let me walk you through what happened.
The Incident
It was a Friday night when my partner and I ordered pizza for the family. We snuggled up on our big bed, enjoyed our meal, and watched a kids’ movie. Once it ended, the boys went off to their room, leaving the baby behind as usual. My partner grabbed some of her toys and sat on the floor, calling her over for a tea party.
As she spotted him, she did what she always does: she turned, swung her legs over the bed, and slid down to join him. The drop was less than a foot, and she’d done it countless times. My partner was ready to catch her if she fell backward, as we were concerned she might hit her head.
She landed on her feet, then sat down, letting out a heart-wrenching scream. I jumped up while my partner rushed her to me. We checked her foot, wondering if she had landed on something sharp, but we couldn’t find anything. She had already calmed down, so we thought maybe she had just startled herself. I put her back on the floor, and she happily played with my partner until bedtime.
Medication and Misinterpretation
Here’s where the teeth come into play: At the doctor’s recommendation, we were alternating Tylenol and Motrin for her molar pain. Before bed, we gave her a dose of Motrin and continued this routine into Saturday. She was a bit cranky, but the medication seemed to help her.
On Sunday, we took her to my father’s pool, and she acted like an absolute angel, never revealing that her leg was broken! It wasn’t until we were leaving that I tried to stand her next to the coffee table and realized she wouldn’t put her left foot down. I called her pediatrician’s after-hours line and scheduled an appointment for Monday morning, just in case.
The Diagnosis
Fast-forward to Monday afternoon. I found myself sitting in a pediatric orthopedist’s office, comforting my little girl while a technician applied a bright pink cast from her tiny toes to her chubby thigh. X-rays confirmed that when she dropped just TWELVE INCHES from the bed to the floor, she managed to break both her tibia and fibula!
“Buckle fractures,” the doctor explained. “They’re quite common. We see them frequently in healthy children her age.” How did we overlook two broken bones? It was simple: we attributed her fussiness to teething, which masked any signs of discomfort. The medication eased her pain, and since she wasn’t walking, we didn’t notice her favoring her leg.
A Learning Experience
It was a perfect storm. She’s my third child, and this is our first experience with a broken bone. I’ve had two rambunctious boys jumping off bunk beds and tackling each other, yet they’ve never broken a bone. Meanwhile, I let my youngest wiggle off the bed while under the watchful eyes of both parents, and her leg breaks. Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but she did fracture two bones, and I was completely unaware. I felt terrible when I discovered it.
However, I’ve learned that I should cut myself some slack. According to Dr. Jonathan Cluett, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, “A buckle fracture, or torus fracture, is an extremely common injury in children.” Buckle fractures occur when bone compresses, resulting in a “compression” injury. The side of the bone under pressure crumples down on itself.
In toddlers, bones can bend without breaking, which is why buckle fractures are so prevalent. They usually need three to four weeks in a cast or splint, after which life resumes as normal. In our case, my daughter still experienced some pain post-cast removal, leading her back into another cast for a short period to allow for extra healing time. Her X-rays now look great, and she should be fully healed just in time for a Fourth of July pool day.
Conclusion
I wish I had known about buckle fractures, their prevalence, and how well kids can cope with them without parents realizing anything is wrong. Let my daughter’s little leg serve as a lesson I wish I had learned sooner. For more insights on related topics, check out this post on home insemination and visit intracervical insemination for authoritative information. If you’re looking for excellent resources on pregnancy, see Healthline’s guide.
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Summary:
This article recounts the experience of a mother whose daughter unexpectedly suffered from buckle fractures in her leg without anyone realizing it. The author shares her feelings of guilt and highlights the commonality of such injuries in young children. With insights from a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, the piece offers valuable information for parents, reinforcing the need for awareness about children’s injuries.