A toddler's fracture is a break in the shinbone (tibia). Your child has a cast or splint to help hold the bone in place while the fracture heals. A cast goes the whole way around the leg. A splint gives support like a cast, but is soft part of the way around.

You can help by taking care of the cast or splint while the fracture heals, which is usually a few weeks. 

• To help prevent swelling in the first few days after the cast or splint is put on, have your child:
  • raise the injured leg above the level of their heart for about 20 minutes 3–4 times a day
  • wiggle their toes throughout the day
• If your child has a splint, they should not walk on it.
• If your child has a cast, only allow them to walk on it if the health care provider said it's OK.
• Follow up with the orthopedic doctor (bone specialist) as directed.

If your child has pain:

• When your child is awake, apply ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a thin towel on the outside of the cast or splint for 20 minutes every 2 hours for up to 2 days.
• You can give medicine for pain if your health care provider says it's OK. Use these medicines exactly as directed:
  • acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand)
  OR
  • ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand)

Care of the cast or splint:

• Keep it clean. Keep dirt, sand, lotions, and powder away from the cast or splint.
• Don't let your child scratch under the cast or splint or put anything in it.
• Don't pick at or remove the padding from the edges.
• Check the area daily. Make sure the skin is not scratched and the toes are not pale, blue, numb, or tingling.
• Keep it dry: 
  • Give a sponge bath instead of a tub bath. Use a wet sponge or washcloth to wash and rinse your child. Avoid getting the cast wet.
  • If the cast gets splashed, blow air into the cast from a hair dryer on the cool setting.

Problems to watch for:

• Swelling: If the toes get swollen, have your child raise them above heart level for up to an hour.
• Sharp cast edges: If the skin near or under the cast gets red or irritated, put tape or moleskin (available at drugstores) on the edge of the cast.
• Itching: Don't let your child scratch or put anything into the cast for itching. Instead, tap lightly on the cast or use a hair dryer on the cool setting to blow air in and around the edges.

• The skin under the cast or splint is rubbed or raw.
• Your child's pain isn't helped by pain medicine. 
• Your child gets a fever.
• The cast or splint is too loose or too tight, or is damaged.

• Your child can't move the toes, or the toes turn white, purple, or blue.
• The cast or splint gets wet, is damaged, or has a foul odor.
• Your child becomes very irritable. It could be a problem with the cast or splint.

How does a toddler's fracture happen? A toddler's fracture is a break in the tibia that can happen when a child trips or falls or twists their foot too far out. This can put a strain on the bones of young kids and cause a crack in the bone. It's called a "toddler's fracture" because young children are most likely to get this type of injury.

How is a toddler's fracture diagnosed? The health care provider will ask about how the injury happened and check the injured leg. If a toddler's fracture is suspected, the health care provider will order an X-ray. When a child has a toddler's fracture, often a fine line can be seen on the X-ray, which is the fracture. But sometimes, soon after the injury, a fracture isn't easy to see on an X-ray. In that case, the child may be treated for a suspected toddler's fracture with a cast or splint to support the injury and help with pain. X-rays done later may show the fracture more clearly.