Nursemaid's Elbow: What Is It & How Could Your Child Get It?

By: Dr. Brandenburg, a full-time emergency physician at the Trauma Emergency Center of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma and author of CHILD SAFE: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries
Book Available At: Dr. Brandenburg�s web site.
March 13, 2000

It's Monday morning, you're running late for work and the older kids are barely dressed for school. In the commotion that ensues your near naked toddler refuses to leave her toys. She crosses her arms and legs, sticks out her lower lip and with the resolve of an old mule ignores your pleas to put down the teddy bear so you can help her get dressed. Finally, you grab her hand, pull her to a standing position and hustle her off to her room. What happens next is just a blur, up to the point where the ER doctor says, �Ma�am, its going to be okay. Your child has a case of nursemaid�s elbow.�

A common malady, nursemaid�s elbow is the ever-so-slight dislocation of a child�s elbow. Doctors sometimes use the medical term, �radial head subluxation.�

A child who gets nursemaid�s elbow will refuse to move the affected arm, holding it close to her body in pain. Fortunately, this condition rarely leads to long-term problems and is very easily treated. A trained physician can put it back in place in just seconds with a simple manipulation. If your child ever suffers what might be nursemaid's elbow, bring her to your pediatrician�s office or the nearest ER.

More important than being easy to treat, however, nursemaid�s elbow can be prevented if parents are aware of its cause: pulling on a young child�s arms or even playfully swinging a young child by her arms.

Toddlers can sometimes be very determined to get what they want. Retreating under tables and grabbing onto furniture while screaming are not beneath them in the battle against parental authority. Don't be surprised if one day your own child sits on the floor and refuses to take a step or insists upon walking in the opposite direction of you. Remember, she is in the process of trying to establish independence and at times will misbehave just to let you know she�s an individual. Be calm and patient and don't make the mistake of pulling on her arms when your frustration rises.

Nursemaid�s elbow is usually caused by parents with good intentions and is considered an inadvertent injury rather than abuse. It can happen whenever the arms of a young child are pulled. You can prevent it by never pulling your child or swinging her by the arms.

Dr. Brandenburg is a full-time emergency physician at the Trauma Emergency Center of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the author of CHILD SAFE: A Practical Guide for Preventing Childhood Injuries (Random House), which has been endorsed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM). For information about CHILD SAFE, visit Dr. Brandenburg�s web site.

The health and safety related information offered by BabyAnt.com is intended for general knowledge and educational purposes only. This information is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical care. Always consult qualified health-care professionals if you have concerns about the condition of your baby.