A Study of Fractures Among Children Less Than 5 Years Old

Not much attention has been paid to fractures in children. Therefore, statistical analysis is needed to investigate this subject. We observed 178 fractures of 169 children less than 5 years old. We focused on four variables: age, cause of injury, fracture position, and treatment. Ages ranged from 1 day to 4 years and 11 months (mean, 2 years 2 months) . Excluding 23 birth fractures, the number of fractures increased with age. The causes of injuries for the 81 children investigated were injuries at birth (27.2%), falling from heights (21.0%), falling down (17.3%), traffic accidents (11.1 %), bicycle accidents (8.6%), other causes (9.9%), and unknown (4.9%) . Clavicular fractures were most common for children younger than 1 year of age. Humeral fractures were most prevalent among those aged from 2 to 4 years. Eight children were operated on by osteosynthesis and two children were operated on by debridement from ankle to foot. The others were treated nonoperatively. A child's fracture usually heals quickly. If excessive deformity occurs after the fracture, a long time is needed for correction. In such cases, manual reduction and fixation with plaster casting are necessary.