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Updated: June 25, 2021
Originally Published: June 25, 2021
My seventeen-month-old daughter endured an entire weekend with a broken leg, and we were completely unaware.
I can already hear the judgment: “How could you not know?” But let me assure you, I am a dedicated and loving parent. I’m confident in my abilities as a mom, just as I am sure of my own name. Yet, even the most attentive parent can overlook things, and that’s exactly what happened to my sweet little girl—I didn’t realize she had buckle fractures in two bones of her left leg.
To provide some context, my daughter is a late walker. She occasionally takes a few steps, and there’s no medical reason for her delay. We’ve explored it; she’s capable, just taking her time. A little physical therapy might be in her future if she doesn’t pick up the pace, but for now, she’s fine.
Additionally, she was dealing with three large, swollen molars trying to break through her gums. This detail will become relevant soon.
Did I win the parenting award for missing a broken leg? Definitely not. But honestly, I’m not sure what we could’ve done differently. Let me explain the series of events.
On a Friday evening, my husband and I ordered pizza for the family. We all gathered on our large bed to enjoy dinner and watch a movie. Afterward, the boys went to their room, leaving our little one behind, as usual. My husband grabbed some of her toys, sat on the floor, and called her name for a little tea party.
When she saw him, she did what she always does—she swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid down to join him. The drop was less than a foot, and she had done this countless times before. My husband was ready to catch her if she stumbled backward, as we were concerned about her hitting her head.
She landed on her feet, then sat down and let out a bone-chilling scream.
I jumped up, and my husband rushed her to me. We checked her foot, suspecting she may have landed on something sharp hidden in the carpet. There was nothing visible, and she quickly stopped crying, so we decided to stop looking. I thought she had just startled herself. I placed her back on the floor, and she played contentedly with my husband for a while until bedtime.
Now, here’s where the teething comes into play: At her doctor’s recommendation, we were already alternating Tylenol and Motrin to alleviate her molar discomfort. Before bed, she received her dose of Motrin, and we continued this routine on Saturday. She was a bit cranky but the meds seemed to help significantly.
On Sunday, we took her to my dad’s pool, where she was an absolute angel, showing no signs that her leg was broken. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I tried to stand her up next to the coffee table and noticed she was unwilling to put weight on her left foot. I called her pediatrician’s after-hours line and scheduled an appointment for Monday morning, just to be cautious.
Fast forward to Monday afternoon.
I found myself in a pediatric orthopedist’s office, comforting my sweet girl while a technician fitted her with a bright pink cast from her tiny toes up to her chubby thigh. X-rays revealed that when she dropped just TWELVE INCHES from the bed to the floor, she managed to fracture both her tibia and fibula!
“Buckle fractures,” the doctor explained, “are quite common. We see them frequently in healthy children her age.”
How did we overlook two broken bones? It’s simple: Our assumption that her fussiness was due to teething masked any signs of her injury. The medications we were giving her dulled the pain, and since she wasn’t walking, we didn’t notice her favoring her leg.
It was a perfect storm of circumstances.
She’s my third child, and this is the first time we’ve dealt with a broken bone. I’ve had two active boys jumping off the top bunk and tackling each other, yet all their bones have remained intact. Meanwhile, my youngest managed to injure herself while being closely supervised by both her parents.
Okay, that sounds dramatic, but she did break two bones, and I was completely oblivious. That realization left me feeling terrible.
However, I should probably cut myself some slack. According to Dr. Jonathan Cluett, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, “A buckle fracture, also known as a torus fracture, is an extremely common injury in children.” These fractures occur when the bone compresses, resulting in a ‘compression’ injury, causing the bone to crumple on one side. Essentially, toddler bones can bend without breaking, making buckle fractures relatively frequent.
They usually require three to four weeks in a cast or splint, and most kids adapt well without significant disruption to their routine. Generally, once the cast is removed, life resumes as normal.
In our case, my daughter was still experiencing some pain when her cast came off, so we ended up putting her in another one for an additional week to allow for further healing. Thankfully, her X-rays looked great, and she should be fully recovered in time for a Fourth of July pool day.
I wish I had been aware of buckle fractures and how common they are. It’s astonishing how some children can tolerate them so well that parents remain completely unaware! Let my daughter’s experience enlighten you about something I had no idea existed.
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Summary:
This article recounts a mom’s experience of discovering her toddler had buckle fractures after unknowingly living with a broken leg for a weekend. It highlights how common these injuries are in young children and emphasizes the importance of awareness for parents. The author reflects on her parenting journey and the unexpected challenges that arise.
SEO metadata:
Blog post about buckle fractures in toddlers, parenting challenges, and awareness of common childhood injuries.