Elbow Dislocation In Children: What Do You Do?

Elbow dislocation in children is a slight subluxation or partial displacement of a bone in the elbow joint. It tends to happen due to a quick jerk in a child’s arm. For this reason, we tell you everything you need to know about this painful injury in children. Take note!

Elbow dislocation in children

Elbow dislocation is a common but painful injury in young children that can occur from around the age at which they learn to walk (about 15 months old) until they are about 5 years old. In general, children will have elbow dislocation from a hard jerk in the bones of the forearm.

Usually, this injury is the result of an adult holding the baby’s hand while trying to get away. It is unusual for children over the age of 5 to suffer from this injury as their joints are much stronger.

On the other hand, you should know that a fall is the second most common cause of this type of injury. Basically, it is a condition caused by you pulling on your baby’s forearm while their arm is stretched.

As a result, there may be a slight displacement of the elbow bone, which will prevent your child from bending the arm completely. After such trauma in the elbow joint, a dislocation of the proximal radius occurs. The result is that any movement is painful in the affected part of the body.

Likewise, be aware that there appears to be a greater tendency for the injury to involve the left arm. This is probably because most caregivers are right-handed.

As a consequence of the pain, the baby will start crying and they will refuse to move their arm. They keep the arm immobile and close to the body, perhaps they support the forearm on the lower body with a slight bend in the elbow.

Once the child is examined, the nurse or doctor puts the elbow in place. This injury has no long-term nuisance for the child.

What are the symptoms?

Normally, the ligaments hold the radial bone in place, but a sudden fall or jerk can overstretch the ligament. This will cause the bone to slide partially out of the ligament. In most cases, children cry with immediately after the painful injury has occurred. It is also likely that they will not use the affected arm at all.

Therefore, if you think your child is suffering from elbow dislocation, seek immediate medical attention. You can e.g. call your doctor or go to the emergency room.

Do not forget that the more time the bone remains out of joint, the more painful and difficult it will be to put the bones in place. It will also take your child longer to fully recover.

Unfortunately, the procedure of putting the bones in the joint in place is painful and worrying, but it only lasts a brief moment. Once the doctor has done his job of straightening the bones in the joint, the radial bone puts itself back in place.

If for some reason it is difficult to move the elbow back into place, or if your child is still not using the injured arm, have an x-ray taken. This will check if there may be other injuries because there may also be a fracture.

What precautions should families take at home?

Once doctors have treated the elbow, the child should be able to resume normal activities. Nevertheless, if the elbow has been partially displaced for an extended period of time, the child may need to take pain medication for a day or two.

You should follow the recommendations given to you by the nurse or doctor to gradually relieve the pain.

If your child still has not regained full use of the elbow the next day, see your doctor. The medical professionals will reevaluate the arm. Remember that the injury has no long-term nuisance for the child if medical professionals treat it quickly and properly.

To avoid elbow dislocation in children, be careful not to lift your child in the forearms or wrists. The best way to lift a child is from the armpits. It is recommended that you learn the right way to lift and carry your child to other people who care for them regularly.

Finally, we want to remind you that some children are more likely to suffer from an elbow dislocation. It can even happen more than once. Elbow dislocation may recur in children who have joints that are particularly loose.

Considering this article, do not worry too much if your child experiences this injury. The ideal response when your child has this type of injury is to take them directly to the doctor.