Nurse Maid Elbow??

This happened to my daughter when she was about 2. My niece was walking with my daughter and when they got to a large ant bed, my niece picked her up by one arm to swing her over the ant bed. She cried, and held her arm to her side. The rest of that afternoon, she would not use her arm. The next day, I took her to the Dr., and he too, popped it right back into place. We, too, were warned that it would happen again, but she has never had any more trouble with it.

My son had this happen at 14 months in the same scenario as Bonnie B... His daycare called me saying he was crying hysterically and holding his arm. They told me another child was tugging on a toy against him and when one jerked it away and he fell backwards that's what did it. I still to this day do NOT believe that story. I think it happened when a teacher/aid grabbed him by the arm to separate them. Its so weird that Bonnie has the same story as me. I wonder if it is common at daycares for this to happen, they even knew that it was nursemaid's elbow.

ANYWAY, I took him to the ER and he sobbed uncontrollably while we waited for the X-ray techs. The doctor finally felt sorry for him since we were waiting so long and said "Just let me try one thing" and popped it back into place. My son was so exhausted from the crying that 60 seconds later (the pain immediately stops when corrected) he was sound asleep.

The doctor said this can also occur from swinging your child by the arms.....lots of people do this. Let me strongly advise against this. You do not want to be the cause of this. I would have been devastated if I had caused my child that much pain for something so easily prevented. The doctor also said to be extra careful with the arm (no swinging, pulling them, or picking them up by the arms) until the age 4. If they make it to 4, its unlikely it will occur again. Luckily we have almost made it to 5 without it happening again.

Mine did it when I was young, like before elementary school. It has never done it again. I was the tomboy too...I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens again.

My son had this happen the first time when he was almost 27 mos old. We were at a birthday party and he pitched a temper fit wanting to go play when it was time to eat (We were in a VERY crowded Chuck E. Cheese), I had him by the hand/wrist and he dropped his 35lb weight all on that arm, so it was a sharp pull on the one arm (his left). I felt the pop and he cried SO much worse than he ever had before. We too, took him to the ER, and they popped it back in. It's actually VERY common in toddlers--the nursemaid's elbow. It's not really the bone itself in the elbow , it's the tendon that runs through a channel in the elbow that pops out of place. The ER doc did say that once it had happened, it was more likely to happen a 2nd time to the affected arm, and if it did start happening more frequently, they'd just show us how to reposition the tendon without having to return to the ER. Then last Summer, it happened at Daycare--to the other arm. They called me saying he was crying hysterically and holding his arm. They told me another 2 yr old was tugging on a toy against him and when one jerked it away and he fell backwards that's what did it. I still to this day do NOT believe that story. I think it happened when a teacher/aid grabbed him by the arm to separate them for time out. Because I don't see another 2 yr old having the strength necessary to do it...since I was there when it happened the first time. Atleast, not in the scenario they gave me. But, in the past year, we've had no more occurences and he pulls/climbs with his arms all the time. My husband swings him by his arms too. If your easy on the arms for a while and let it heal well, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Sorry about your little one! I am a grandmom but remember that loud "pop" of my 5 month old back in 1985. Her older 2 year old brother had "helped" pull her back on the blanket when I was around the corner cooking. She cried off and on all day and didn't roll over. By afternoon I took her to the doctor and they popped it back. She was fine then and to this day has never had another day of trouble with it! She is now 22 and the mommy of my granddaughter.

Yes, it is surprisingly common with preschoolers.......ever see an old man with one arm slightly longer than the other (well not that you'd go around looking but we are in the South and people know everyone) ......that's what happens when it is untreated. My daughter's arm did the same thing when she was two. I took her to the ER (on vacation) and they just popped it right back and she acted like it never happened. It is a kind of dislocated elbow. It also happens at the weirdest times.........not at all when you'd expect. My daughter didn't want to take a bath (overtired from Disney) and as I was holding her hands, leading her she just stopped and dropped to her knees. That was it...all it took. It can happen again (more likely now it has happened) so she shouldn't play tugging or swinging games that put a lot of pressure on her forearm. I felt a huge amount of guilt when it happened and was careful to just let my daughter fall if she pulled away during a tantrum. Fortunately it never happened again........and they do outgrow it as the bones grow and harden. Here's a link that can tell you all about it far better than I can.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/nursemaid_elbow/page2_em.htm

This sounds similar to tennis elbow, which can much more easily (and inexpensively) be fixed by a chiropractor! Check the local resources for your area for a good family chiropractic- you'll be amazed at the preventative qualities that an aligned spine and neck will have, and they can also fix things like elbows, knees, and wrists!

The cost is only what your copay is!

hello my name is D. i am 34 i have 5 kids 3 who are mine 1 who my husband and 1 who is mine and my husband tgather.. any way my 2st to the oldest doughter when she was 2 my sister was babysetting her and at my other sister house along with my oldest and my othere sitter little girl who is lik 8 mouth younger then my doughter (LOL i pray u got all that lol) any way my other sister little girl had gotting the little slid for get 1st birth day when them little one that u can keep in the house.. any way she said all three them was doing really good with it and then my doughter fall off it befor she went down.( AND REMBER THESE SLIDE ARE SHORT ONLY LIKE TWO LITTLE STEP UP) ANY WAY SHE SAID SHE STARTED CRYING LIKE U HAD SAID YOUR LITTLE GIRL WAS... ANY WAY SHE SAID JUST LIKE U IT it was nap time and by the time we got there to get them she was still asleep and when she woke up she was crying again holding her arm and it was big aroung her elbo... any way i took her to the er and just like u it was pop out it joint.. anyway it happen a few more time i mean little falls and you know how when you playing with them and u reach down and pick up by there arm and swing a little well we lorn that was A no no to her and i finly had them see why it was happen so much they did some test and said her ball joint that hold your boin in the join was not like it shoild be he said some kind dont come it like it should but they do come in.... well she is 15 now and she fine it dont do it anymore,,,, she has out grown it thank god, now if it was the maid elbow i dont know i rember they called it somthing but i dont remember what it was... that was 15 years and three more kids since then lol any way if u wont to talk about it anymore just let me know...

My 6 year old had this happen to her when she was 6 months old. She was just learning to sit up and I was holding her hands while she sat on the counter. She suddendly jerked back and to prevent her from hitting her head i pulled her by her hands. In the process she got nurse maids elbow. I will say that in the 6 years since then it has never happened again and once they get to a certain age (not sure what age) it is even less likely to happen. so I really wouldn't worry about it. We even did the big no no of picking her up by her hands and she never did it again.