By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    photo of hands with blue veins
    8 Proven Tips on Finding Difficult Veins
    November 12, 2021
    tips for getting over the pandemic blues
    4 Proven Ways to Get Over the Pandemic Blues
    February 22, 2022
    medical industry innovations
    How is CNC Machining Transforming the Medical Industry?
    June 2, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Doctors on Google: Manhattan Research Survey 2012
    July 23, 2012
    HealthCare’s Need for Transparency Goes Far Beyond Pricing
    December 10, 2012
    Medicare Payments to Providers Are Carved, Sliced and Chopped by Sequestration
    March 25, 2013
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Birth Injury Bone Fractures: Common Infant Injuries And Treating Them
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Specialties > Birth Injury Bone Fractures: Common Infant Injuries And Treating Them
Specialties

Birth Injury Bone Fractures: Common Infant Injuries And Treating Them

John Henning
Last updated: November 15, 2022 3:54 pm
John Henning
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

The last things that parents would want their children to experience are broken bones and fractures. While these types of injuries usually don’t bring a major worry to become life-threatening, they, unfortunately, can happen to anyone, regardless of age. They’re especially common in infants during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. That’s because infants’ bones and skin are still extremely fragile.

Contents
What Causes Birth Injury?1. Clavicle Fracture2. Erb’s Palsy3. Growth Plate Fracture4. Femur Fracture

Light bruising is actually a normal part of many cases of delivery. However, broken bones and fractures typically indicate that something wrong has happened during the delivery process. It’s something that could’ve been prevented.

What Causes Birth Injury?

The baby’s size or their position during labor and delivery are some of the reasons why birth injury occurs. In some cases, a medical negligence on the part of the healthcare providers may cause the injury. When the physician’s conduct has fallen short of what’s accepted in terms of medical standards, it’s best to establish medical negligence with the help of reputable birth injury law firms, like Salvi Schostok & Pritchard for a successful injury claim.

Below are the common fractures and injuries that infants experience during childbirth.

More Read

How Does Occupational Therapy Help Kids with Autism?
Advantages of Seeking Medical Aesthetics Treatments
Fusion Still Holds Strong in Spine Surgery
Best Sofas for Back Support & Relief from Bad Back Pain
What You Need To Know About Improving Spine Health

1. Clavicle Fracture

The fracture or break of the clavicles (collarbone) in infants is a fairly common injury. This type of injury is more likely to occur during birth. Most injuries to the cervical spine and the neck result in the baby developing mild pain and instability. The most common symptoms of this type of injury include neck stiffness, pain when moving the neck and shoulder, neck pain, and, sometimes, weakness. This injury can be very debilitating because it causes a lot of restrictions in the infant’s activities as it limits their movements.

The good news is that clavicle fractures seldom cause a noticeable deformity to the child. These injuries will also heal by applying simple treatments, like strapping the baby’s arm to the chest. Since the bones of infants heal quickly, treatment may only be required for a few weeks.

2. Erb’s Palsy

Erb’s palsy is a type of paralysis that affects children between the ages of four and 12 years old. It also happens in infants during childbirth due to an injured brachial plexus. The symptoms are often confused with other similar conditions, such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis.

While the symptoms for Erb’s palsy may vary from child to child, they include, but are not limited to, difficulty with physical coordination, motor skills, coordination, and balance. The muscles of the child’s hand don’t respond well to touch, or even rubbing or shaking. A child may be completely immobile due to muscle weakness in one area of the body. The child may also experience difficulty with walking, climbing stairs, or sitting down.

The nerves can actually heal over time, so the best treatment would be to let it completely recover. However, surgery may be recommended when the injury in the brachial plexus is still evident even after three to six months have passed.

3. Growth Plate Fracture

A growth plate fracture is basically a break in the bone. This type of injury occurs in the middle of the individual’s lower back. It occurs when bone pushes against bone when it’s not aligned properly. The most common reason for a growth plate fracture in infants is birth injury. Symptoms of growth plate fractures include swelling at one end of the arm or leg. Growth plate fractures can be treated by simply protecting the fractured area and giving it weeks to completely heal.

4. Femur Fracture

A femur fracture is an injury to the femoral bone. The femur is an elongated bone that starts just below the knee joint and runs along the hip joint until it joins with the shin bone at the top of the foot. The femur is made up of several smaller bones and connective tissues.

It’s important to have a qualified physician examine an infant for a fracture of their femur to determine the extent of injury and the need for surgery. A fractured femur can result in severe pain, bruising, and swelling, and can also lead to serious complications, such as infection and deformity of the hip joint. It’s, therefore, advisable to get immediate medical attention to prevent further complications from occurring. For newborns, initial treatment for femur fracture is the use of Pavlik harness for about four weeks.

Final Thoughts

Medical intervention is important if an infant experiences a birth injury, such as bone fracture. If a fracture or injury occurs at a bone’s end, it may actually affect bone growth. That’s why it requires medical attention.

Note that if a medical malpractice caused the injury, then, it would be best to work with a personal injury attorney to file a claim. To learn more about medical malpractice, you may check the featured video out in the beginning of this article.

The good news is that birth injury bone fractures and other injuries almost always resolve after treatment. That’s because of the newborn body’s tremendous capacity to heal since it’s still rapidly developing.

TAGGED:birth injurybone fracturesbone injuryinfant birth injuryinfant bone fractures
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By John Henning
John Henning is a nutritionist, freelance writer, and food blogger that provides accessible nutrition info to help people live a healthier life. His unique approach to nutrition emphasizes nutrient-dense, whole foods and healthy habits rather than restrictive diets.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

echocardiographic
DiagnosticsFinanceHealth ReformPolicy & LawSpecialties

Echocardiographic in General Population Not Effective in Reducing Death/Disease

August 12, 2013
Eye CareHealth

NoIR Sunglasses Help People with Vision Sensitivity Conditions

December 9, 2024
Pregnancy

Important Early Pregnancy Signs To Be Aware Of

November 18, 2019
BusinessCardiologyNewsTechnology

LoneStar Heart is Focused on Preserving & Restoring Heart Functions to Heart Failure Patients

December 30, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?