Spica Cast

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spica_cast

Dear J. please go to this site for information on the spica orhopedic casts.

Hi J.,
My son broke his femur at 2 1/2 and he was in a spica cast for 6 weeks. For some independent play time we would put him on the floor on his tummy and put him on a large, thin board. He was able to play with cars and trains and also pull himself around because the board was slippery (it's harder to do this on the carpet). He really learned to pull himself around and roll over. This gave him a lot of independence. In the beginning we propped him up on a wedge pillow, but later he developed really strong neck and arm muslces and he didn't need the wedge. After a few days, he was pulling himself all over the house (over the carpet too). Also, we have a stoller that we could set into 2 different positions. We were able to roll it right up to the dinner table and the stroller served as his chair. So, he could eat at the table. For us, the hardest part was the itching (that you couldn't scratch inside the cast) and the diapering. There is no easy solution for that stuff. We tried everything and his cast still got wet at times. My son also liked to sit in the beanbag and watch movies. His personality definitely changed while he was in the cast (not his happy, giggly self), but it was amazing how fast he came back to normal once the cast was off. Good luck - right now it seems like it will be forever before the cast is off, but just take it day-by-day and you will get there. And, when you look back, you will be amazed that you made it through. Kids bounce back so quickly at this age. One more note - be sure to get a handicap placard at the DMV. Your doctor should be able to fill out a form that you take to the DMV. It's so much easier to get in and out of the car and into the stoller when you have a bigger parking space. Take care.

I'm a child life specialist, and have worked with many children in spica casts. I'm assuming you were fitted for a specialized car seat to make sure you can transport him safely in a car. Giving him lots of activities (fine motor) is what you need to focus on....playdough, toys, books, blowing bubbles, etc. best of luck!

http://www.health-first.org/health_info/your_health_first...

Hope that helps.
s

Someone mentioned using a maxipad in the diaper... maybe the insert for a gDiaper would work better and may possibly be cheaper. They're 14.50 for 40 in the small size. There's a showercap-like liner that snaps into the gDiaper cover to contain the wetness - maybe you could find a way to fashion this for your use (4 come in the starter kit along with two covers and a handful of the "maxipad" liners. There's also a company www.caringproducts.com. They used to make bumberchute training pants for girls and boys but specialize on the adult market now. Incontinence products work better than maxipads. Also, maybe you could find a portable urinal like this locally (REI?):
http://www.caringproducts.com/listproducts.asp?catid=16&a...

19mos is certainly not too young to be potty trained and since you'll likely be spending plenty of time cleaning and caring for his bottom it would be nice to cut out the middleman :P

was curious what a Spica cast was and read some of your responses. If you decide to use G-Diapers and inserts, as someone mentioned, I have some size mediums I can give you. We ended up switching to other diapering methods. If you live in Marin I can get them to you.
Good luck, D.

Our son was born with 2 dislocated hips and as a result was in a harness, 2 different spica casts and then a brace system for the first 6 months of his life. I think it was a little easier for us because he was at a prewalking point. We did notice that he was much more sensitive to the little things around him. Shirt tags, socks with the little seam at the toe and uncomfortable clothes were a big no no. Without full body movement he focused on things that the rest of us were not aware of. In addition, our son was so little (5 lbs at the start of the process) that is was difficult to keep him clean during diaper changes. If any body fluids get inside the cast it can lead to skin infections which it did for our son leaving scars. It sounds bad but again, I think it was because our son was so little that this happened. We couldn't use diapers because the opening was to small on the cast and instead had to use maxi pads. If you ever need to vent or have questions about our experience let me know. Good luck!

I don't have anything in the way of advice really, just empathy! I had a two year old in a spica cast for 6 weeks a few years ago and it was a really hard time for all of us. Diapering and cleaning and sleeping at night were all really tough. We spent many nights with him as he cried about not being able to move. My son had a spiral complete fracture of his femur. I wish you the best of luck!