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How to survive a toddler in a body (hip spica) cast

January 12, 2009 | Filed in: One Slide At A Time

After my son broke his femur (spiral fracture), I learned first hand on how to survive a hip spica cast. I hope I can pass on some tips to you.

Let me just say I would not wish this on anyone. I learned all this info first hand after my son broke his femur and spent five weeks in a hip spica cast. This is my son Everett about a week before his accident.

Here is Everett the day we brought him home from the hospital.

How did he manage to break the strongest bone in the body? I’ve told enough CPS people the story (don’t get me started on the most unorganized agency ever). I was lucky this didn’t happen in our home. He was kicking a ball at school, he missed the ball, brought his leg back and was stuck on the ball. As he fell down, his leg twisted resulting in a spiral fracture.

So I got home from the hospital. After getting Everett settled, getting some hugs and kisses from my baby Mitchell, and some much needed sleep, I headed straight to the computer to find out suggestions for how to manage the next couple weeks. It was a tough search. Most advice applied to infants and not toddlers.

Everett spent 5 weeks in a hip spica cast (torso to knee on one leg and to the toes on the broken leg) and it took him about 3 weeks to relearn how to walk.

Tools of survival

Special Designed Car Seat – This one is similar to the one we had. It has a very narrow area for your child to sit. It is also raised up to allow the childs legs to hang down. check your local children’s hospital for this one. Just as we were sitting in the hospital room wondering how we were going to get our son home, in walked a wonderful woman from the hospital to ask what kind of car we had.

Beanbag chair – Perfect for propping child up to the table. Lay them on their stomach for a change of view great way to do puzzles, color, etc.
Kid Size Table – preferrably one that will fit around the beanbag and child. We liked the Ikea Latt Table.

Pillows, Pillows, and more Pillows.
Scooter – This was a lifesaver. Papa made this one about 2 weeks after the accident from an old bar stool top and some casters from the local harware store. You will not believe how my son lit up once he realized he could move around. We would have races between Everett on his scooter and Lightening McQueen. Warning your child might have amazing upper body strength after this.

How to change a diaper

I was actually fortunate that my son was not yet potty trained. I could only imagine figuring that out. The changing process may seem very labor intensive in the beginning but you will be a pro in a short time.

The most effective method is to double up. An inner diaper will be tucked into the cast. An outer diaper will hold the inner diaper on as you move your child. The outer diaper may not be need the first couple days, but once your child starts moving around.

First, I wouldn’t skimp and buy the cheap diapers. Go for the Pampers or Huggies. You want diapers that absorb fast and very well. You will also want to purchase a pack that are a size larger to go over the cast and keep the inner diaper on. Keep in mind that as time goes by you may have to adjust the size of your diaper. Your child will probably loose weight and the cast will become looser.

Any area will due as a changing area. In the beginning you may want to put a towel down.

Next, remove the old diaper. Place new diaper down. Slowly beging to “shove” the diaper up the front into the cast. Try to make sure it lies flat and doesn’t bunch up.

To get the back, simply rotate your child to one side. I would usually tell my son to grab the pillow that was next to him. We got pretty good doing this “dance” by the end. Again “shove” the diaper up the back of the cast.

Last, check the groin area for any gaps. Adjust front and back if needed.

For your sake, it is important to prevent any leakage. Remember your child will be in this cast for a number of weeks. Leaks will become quite smelly.

How to bathe your child

Get two small bowls (take those plastic wash bins from the hospital home) of warm water. Add soap to one bowl.
Lay out a couple of plush beach towels. Place your child on them.
Sponge bathe your child using one bowl to clean and one to rinse.
To wash their hair, place an extra towel under their head. Use a washcloth to wet hair. Shampoo. Then rinse using the washcloth. I recommend using just enough soap to get it clean otherwise it is hard to rinse.

Also, consider letting your child help clean themselves. Your child will already be very dependent on you. Anything you can have them do for themselves helps maintain their independence.

How to position your child in bed

Here is where the pillows, pillows, and more pillows come in handy. Oh yeah don’t forget blankets. Not much changes here. Always put your child to sleep on their back. But the entire length of the legs should be propped up with pillows or blankets to relief stress on the cast.

How to pick up your child

Get ready to build some upper body strength because body building just became your life. What they say is true, bend your legs and lift with your legs.

First, I recommend placing a small towel or blanket over the cast. The cast can pull on your clothing.

Next, grasp below the legs (either from the front or the back). If your child is able, have them grab around your neck. You need all the help you can get.

Slowly bend your knees and lean back. Then stand up.

You will be exerting yourself a lot during this time. I recommend finding a good chiropractor.

How to get around with a child in a cast

I’ve already mentioned the special designed car seat. See above.

I was fortunate that my son was still able to fit into our stroller (Maclaren) with a pillow behind him. The only modification was to hook the shoulder straps together under his arms to hold him in.

Other methods that may work are using a wagon. I’ve used the flat ones without the seats. Again prop them up with a pillow. See below.

During this time I drove an hour to the zoo with two children only to discover the double stroller was not in the car. I made due. I used the single stroller and carried the baby. Once in the zoo I rented a wagon. So don’t be deterred…get out of the house!!

How to survive a toddler in a hip spica cast

Don’t let the cast deter you. Go to the park, go have a picnic, go to the zoo, just go. Pack up some pillows and blankets and go. The distraction of being outside (well anywhere besides home) was a lifesaver.

My son attended a Preschool gym class and storytime at the library before he broke his leg. We continued with it while he had the cast on as well. I would push Everett around in the stroller during activities. Hold him up so he could throw the ball (he wanted to do it just like everyone else). Sit down in the circle while we sang songs. Towards the end we even brought the scooter with us.

Find out of the box activities. Coloring and book will only last so long. You don’t want your child to become dependant on movies. We made cookies at Everett’s table. We got him to the table at Easter to color eggs. Stringing beads.

Also rally your troops. Have grandma, grandpa, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. send your child mail. Stickers, cards, magazines. Every time my son got mail his face lit up.

I think this was important in keeping his independence.

Removal of the Cast

Warning – the toughest part of this whole process is probably watching your child in pain before they set the broken bone. But it will also be hard to watch the cast removed. The sound of the saw will also be scary to a child. But more importantly your child has been in a set position for weeks, unable to move those joints. As the cast is removed, even the tiniest bit of movement will be painful. Try to be prepared: how did you handle boo-boos in the past? With my son, ice fixed everything. It may help to have ice packs or cold compresses handy. When in doubt, do what I did – cold paper towels.

Walking Again

*I am not a therapist. We did not work with a therapist. If Everett has not started walking withing a few weeks our doctor would have then referred us to therapy*

Depending on how their joints were positioned in the cast, your child may not be able to flex those joints right away. My son refused to put down his heel for 2 weeks after the cast was off. All you can do is encourage them. Also find activities that involve walking yet focuses their attention elsewhere.

In the last few weeks with his cast on, Everett discovered he could hold himself up on the porch railing and walk along. This was also great after the cast was off. He would walk back and forth on the porch.

I also continued with the activities. Interacting with other children encouraged Everett to participate. The turning of the tides for us was A Day Out with Thomas the Train. Everett saw his buddy doing all the activities and he wanted to be right there with him. Suddenly he put the heel down and started walking.

Last of all don’t enable your child. Do not continue carrying them. Even if they are limping, make your child walk.

Long Term Effects

Results may not be the same. I see no physical effects or limitations in my son. Within two months, he was bouncing in a moonwalk. You would not know he was in a cast. Mentally he doesn’t remember much. He knows he was in a cast and “buzz (sound of a saw), it popped off”.

I wish you the best of luck during this time in your life.

Remember, the extra time with your child is a gift.

Please leave a comment if this post was helpful to you.

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52 Comments so far
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What an awful thing for a little one to have to endure! But it sounds like you made it through keeping his spirits high! You both must be incredibly strong.

Break my heart! Poor thing! That picture (of the cast of the couch) is very sad.

I am glad you survived it! My goodness I can’t even imagine.

{found you through momdot.com}

My son Caden turns two on 2-3-09. Today is Tuesday 1-21-09 and on Friday 1-16-09 he tripped over his 7 year old cousin. twisted his leg just right and fractured his femur. We’ve endured the police being called on us and a huge investigation by CSD and local detectives. Caden is in a full spica cast from his ribs down to both ankles with a bar in between his legs. We’re only a few days in and it’s tough. Caden is adjusting well and is hardly taking his pain meds. He also tries to pull himself across the floor. 6 weeks seems so far away. Thank you for this site. I feel better knowing we aren’t the only ones. And thanks for all the helpful tips.

Melissa – I’m so glad my post was helpful. The first thing I did when it happened to us was search the internet. And I didn’t find much besides medical websites or ones with babies in casts. Nothing for toddlers in body casts. I wish you the best and our thoughts and prayers are with Caden!

You cannot imagine how helpful this post is. My son Jorden turned two in November ‘08 and today (yesterday? What day is it?) I got a call from daycare saying that another little boy had tripped and when he fell, landed on my son. Now he wasn’t moving, crying & wouldn’t let her look at his leg. So we came to the doctor & after 37,000 xrays, he has a spiral fracture of his right femur. The scariest part was our pediatrician saying he might need surgery (he didn’t, thank God). Out came CPS and Family Advocacy and the police, THAT is scary. Jorden is now in a hip spica and the doctors say we will be able to go home in the morning. A nurse came by and will be bringing a car seat by in a few hours! The barstool & casters thing is great, I’m going to put my husband to work on that this weekend! I’m so glad I decided to google this! It’s 4:45 am here and your posting has stopped my crying and made me feel a million times better about this situation. Thank you so much, I’ll be posting his pictures and such tomorrow afternoon sometime!

Jenn – The first thing I did when it happened to us was search the internet. I didn’t find much besides medical website or ones with babies in casts. Nothing for toddlers in body casts. So I’m so glad my post was helpful. I know exactly what you are going thru. I was so frustrated when it first happened. Especially dealing with CPS. They just assume the worse and don’t understand accidents happen. I’m so glad I stuck to my guns. Once your home, CPS gives it a rest, and you get the hang of caring for your son, its not as stressful. It was actually a blessing that I got to stay home for 6 weeks with my boys (I work full time).

Just don’t let the cast slow you down. For an active two year old, the couch and movies will get boring in about 3 days. By then they should be getting use to the cast. Get out of the house for walks, picnics, etc.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

nice and sweet. to the point. Sorry I’m late adding this comment. I searched for “car seats” and I found your post “How to survive a toddler in a body (hip spica) cast”. added a subscription to your feed.

Hi!So happy to not be alone in this obstacle. Brayden is 3 and had his spiral fx on 1-28-09. He has his full cast on his left leg and down to his right knee. He was day-trained and we are working with a urinal and it is working out great. I put him on the potty this morning with a book after I had given him a glycerin suppository and we had a successful time. I’m going to try kotex pads with some cheaper diapers. The bar stool with casters is a definite thing we will be doing. This is such a trying time for our family of 6. We are so much closer and more attentive not only to Brayden but each other. Thank you so much for your info and practical encouragement. Our journey has just begun. Mendy

I just read your article on the young one in the Spica Cast. My son was 3 last January when he also was put in a Spica Cast for 8 weeks. It was two of the hardest months of all of our lives. However, now a year has passed and physically you would never ever know it happened. My question is more about long term psychological effects. I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on that. It is difficult to say since children develop so rapidly and change so much during this time of their lives. My son sometimes gets very frustrated, and sometimes gets very angry. Maybe thats just his personality? But sometimes I wonder if some of this aggression might be a side effect of the trauma. Do you have any thoughts or experiences about this?

Greg,
I’ve noticed similar tendencies in my son as well. My thoughts are that it is not from the trauma. But at 2 1/2 to 3 years old they were put into the cast right at the time when most children their age are becoming very independent. Suddenly, they are completely dependent on everyone else to get them dressed, going to the bathroom/diaper, for movement, to pick up their toys, etc.

It has been about a year, but lately at 3 1/2 I’ve noticed more of the effects. It is probably because Everett is easily frustrated by tasks that his 20 month old brother is accomplishing with little assistance i.e. getting dressed, cleaning up. He is very quick to get frustrated when he doesn’t get it right the first time and gives up. If you push him to try again, he refuses and is very defensive.

We’ve also had similar issues with potty training. He has no patience what so ever. While most of his friends at daycare have moved up to the preschool room, Everett has been held back. They had one room setup for kids who are potty training with more 1-on-1 attention. Just today, he is moving up to the Preschool room even though he is not completely potty trained. Since I also know other parents of boys who are having the same potty training problems, I wasn’t as concerned.

I have contemplated checking with a specialist. My daycare has refered us to the local guidance center. Since he is in daycare, the guidance center has a free program that works with daycare children in preparing them for preschool i.e. cooperating with others, focusing on tasks, etc. I’ve put it off for about 6 months, but I may contact them soon. If they have any suggestions I will be sure to let you know and post it on my blog.

I hope this helps. Would you mind if I copied your email over to the comments section of my blog? It may be helpful for other parents.

Stephanie

Some advice for people with a young child in a Spica Cast. My 3 year old was in a Spica Cast for 8 weeks in January/February of 2008. The first two nights we had him at home every time he fell asleep he would wake up very suddenly with a sharp jerking motion. It was very disturbing and he looked horrified. None of the nurses or doctors had any idea why he was doing this. I did some research on the internet and found another person who posted about a similiar reaction their child had and it was determined to be the narcotic pain medicine. We took him off the pain medicine and this went away instantly.

My son also had a similar reaction to the morphine. In the hospital, he would wake up suddenly and almost scared to death. He also was itching and rubbing his face like crazy. Once we got home it took a couple days to subside. I also looked it up online, but because I could never be sure about it I didn’t mention it on my post.

Thank you. My 2 1/2 year old got his spica cast off today. Your post was great to anticipate the next few weeks.

My son Ryan is 2 years old. He actually broke his hip bone and is in a hip spica cast. Xrays show a dark spot on his femur that doctors belive weakened the bone and eventually it just gave way. Thanks for the website…good tips and insight. In about 4 weeks the cast will come off and then doctors will try to figure out what that dark spot on his bone is.

Hello, thanks for your site. My son has just had his cast removed and it was reassuring that your son took some time to bend and walk again, Clare

Thank you so much for posting this on the web. Today is April 27,2009, my son Jakob whom is 19 months tripped and fell and broke his Femur bone 5 days ago. It has been a heartbreaking 5 days and thanks to your site, I do not feel alone in this. I found this very helpful and also enjoyed how you left the house and tried to have a normal life for you and your son. The doctors told us not to leave if possible with him, me and Jakob are used to going to the park and having a picnic at least once a week, so I now feel better about getting him out. They sent us home with a harness instead of a car seat?? The harness was scary.. seemed very tramatic for Jakob riding home from the hospital. Also they told me to use size 1 diaper on him to be tucked in the cast and normally he wears a size 4, I will change that since your child wore his normal size tucked in his cast. Maybe that will help with leaks, I am changin him every 2 hours and also putting a maxi pad also in with the diaper but I am starting to smell an urine odor coming from the back of the cast…any suggestions on how to get rid of that??? Thanks so much for this advice.. cant wait till my husbands gets home to check this out also!

I don’t understand the size 1 diaper thing. In my experience you want that diaper to be way up there in the back and front to prevent leaks. I think I actually went up a size and used a 5 or 6. Just make sure it is nicely tucked up there and not bunched. I could understand that they didn’t want it rubbing their skin. Once the cast has urine on it there is not much you can do. If it is really bad I would call the doctor. They might change the cast. But on kids that little I’m not sure if they would do that. Don’t blame yourself, its probably because they told you to use a size 1 diaper.

I never saw the harnesses for the car. It does seem a little scary. But so did the carseat I had at first. But the trauma may be from just getting out of the hospital, being in a cast, and not sitting in their own carseat in the car. When you are use to this huge carseat, the ones for the casts seem tiny. I remember that feeling driving home from the hospital. It was almost like when you just brought them home after giving birth, not wanting to drive to fast or hit a bump. Did you have your surgery at a children’s hospital? If not maybe contact one in your area, they may have the carseats available.

Definately get out of the house. As long as you are up for it, go go go. It was our lifesaver. We did everything just to keep my son interested. I even went to the zoo and realized my double stroller was at home in the garage. I didn’t let it stop me. We rented a wagon and on we went. For picnics I brought a vinyl tablecloth to make sure the ground isn’t wet. Try out your stroller. I was able to use both of mine (Maclaren & Baby Jogger) with a pillow behind him. I was able to strap him in by hooking the two shoulder straps together since the waist straps wouldn’t fit.

Don’t be afraid to improvise. Seriously consider a scooter (they have them for moving potted plants, I think it would work great), in another week it will make your son’s day.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you! Good Luck!

[...] hospital. I was sympathetic since my son was treated there for his broken femur (read about the hip spica cast). I said just take them. Second hand stuffed animals don’t sell that great [...]

My 2 1/2 year old broke her femur and we have 3 more weeks until she gets her hip spica cast off. The other night she leaked through her diaper big time and now the “plastic material” inside her cast is yellow and her cast now smells of urine. Is there anything I can do to get rid of that smell?
Thanks

Aside from replacing the cast, there is nothing that I am aware of to get rid of the urine smell. Contact your doctor for recommendations.

thanks so much for your post. My daughter broke her leg exactly the same way. I had to deal with the social worker too. They made it sound like it was impossible to break your leg kicking a ball. I am so glad your child is better!

Staphanie, Thanks for sharing your experience w/ your son & the hip spica. You have given me some great ideas & the confidence that we will make it thru this. My son got his cast 5/25/09 His 3rd b-day. We are living one day @ a time he is frustrated @ times.Thanks again We are off to the movies !

Our 3 year old daughter was in a spica for 5 weeks after a spiral femur fracture. SHe’s beginning to walk with her dad and I holding both her hands. The right leg (broken one) is an inch shorter than the other- our ortho tells us this in normal and it will catch up. She’s having a hard time finding a center of balance and is very timid to try anything new. It seems that she wants to walk sideways…like a crab. I know it takes time and it will all come back -but as a mom, it’s so difficult to watch. I’m interested in hearing if any other parents expereinced these issues with re-learning to walk. Thanks for site- it’s great!

[...] oldest made it through 5 weeks in a body cast just before he turned three. He broke his femur kicking a ball. It was a tough time for all of us but you wouldn’t know anything ever [...]

I really appreciate your website! I have a 6 y/o who has a spiral fracture of his femur. He was just past the age where he would have had a spica cast. Instead he had a plate with screws put on his femur. This has worked out well overall but now that he has received the ok to walk (after 6 weeks in a wheel chair) he has so much pain in his ankle (to to stiffining of his tendons and ligaments) that he is afraid to even try. He is now scooting around on the floor to get around. I have been searching for information about how long it typically takes a child to start walking again. I see that it took Everett a few weeks. That is just what I was looking for. Thank you!

I am so glad to have come across your site. My sister-in-law found it and sent me the link. My son, Jace, broke his leg last Friday. (Only 6 days after his 3rd birthday) So, we are 8 days in and WOW this is going to be a long summer. I also have a 2yr old son who is just as active as Jace was. We are actually still just in a post mold. That is what they sent us home from the ER with. We saw an Orthopedic that thinks staying in a post mold will be just as good as the cast. Do you have any thoughts on that? I am a bit worried about when he realizes that he can be a little more mobile. I also got a second opinion and that Dr. said that he would cast it but he would also redo the post mold if we chose. I am told that we will be in this mold or cast for 5 weeks! Ughh! I was never even questioned by CPS. I was expecting it but relieved that it wasn’t an issue. Jace was chasing me in the house and just fell. I was so confused on how something like this can happen from a simple fall. Thankfully the 2nd Dr. we went to demonstrated a couple ways that the fall may have happened to make me feel much better. My husband built something on our wagon to make it easier to get Jace around. The hospital never gave us any info about car seats or how to transport him. I was starting to settle about the fact that I could not take him out. I am going to look into that next. Anyway, I am sorry that you went thru this but I am so glad that you posted your experiences. Thank you.

Thanks for the info…my daughter has to have this cast next month following reconstructive hip surgery caused by being breech but the drs didn’t catch it till now…she is 2 1/2…my husband and I are terrified at how she will react to this and how we will handle her on top of that we are expecting in 2 weeks…you have some good suggestions and I think they will help us the drs have given us no useful advice…thanks again

great info- our son also broke his leg, we are in week 3 of 6. we went a little crazy at first, but now we are gettign used to it. googling blogs is so helpful to htose who need it, here is a link to the blog i am doing, http://lalicast.blogspot.com/

maybe some tips i have can help someone else.
we also made him what we call the skateboard for him to get around! he zooms so fsat,s pins and races- it gave him an independance that we never thought he could have now!

My daughter just got put into a spica today. I am having a really hard time with the diapering. MY DD had a very wet diaper and I already had to put petals in the diaper. I had a very hard time with tucking some of the petals into the diaper. It took half an hour to change 1 wet diaper. Any tips re the petals? I am a single Mom and am unsure whether I can change a diaper alone. Did you do this?

Also – re a stroller. I can’t use my own stroller. Do the umbrella strollers work well? I think that a wagon is problematic because it seems too tippy.

Also wondering whether anyone ever had their kids in daycare with a spica. My daycare is willing to do this, but I don’t think they know what they’re in for.

Lastly, how did you feed your child? MY dd’s highchair doesn’t work with the cast.

thanks. I’m very heartened by this blog.

Deb

What a wonderful and insightful site for parents! Thank you so much for great tips and the information. My son is 21 months old and he will be going into surgery this Friday 08/14/09 to get his bodycast for his right femur fracture. Doc told us he’ll have to endure 3 weeks, I wasn’t sure how we’d manage, but after reading this, now I have a better idea on how we can help our son feel better. After seeing your son’s pictures, it almost brought me to tears. Thanks again for the great information.

Thank you for your story! My almost 2 year old broke his femur going down an enclosed twisty slide with my husband. His leg got caught and boom. I’ve been trying to find stories of other moms who’ve been through it and yours is the best. It’s so hard because my son is so active, always dancing, jumping, running, etc. and now he has to sit.

Your story gives me new hope that he’ll be fine physically and mentally as long as we keep him busy!

Thanks!!!

Hello,i founded your site when I was researching about kids with broken femurs.On the 24th of Jun.’09 my son,Nolan (33 months),fell off his bunk bed while playing with his brother and his cousin.He will be in the cast for 9 weeks!(his angulation was in the higher limits of acceptable)can you please tell me how your son is doing now? Any lenghtening or shortening of his injured leg or other complications? Thanks for any information,and for your site…..GOD bless you and your family.

Keith…good luck on Friday..I myself have cried many many times,beating myself up time and time again for what happened to my son.You guys are in my prayers and along with other parents who are going through this horrible ordeal.

My daughter who is 2 is 4 weeks into the spica. I feel like I am living a nightmare. I have 4 children and Reece is 3rd. She tells me that her leg is always hurting. I am so discouraged right now. I didn’t have very good information on how to tend to the cast. This was the first chance I had to go online to research care. Unfortunately, she has pooped up her cast and the back is soft with urine saturation. I have been stuck at home for 4 weeks because I had no idea there was a car seat. Thank you so much for all of your advice. Your blog has just been an answer to prayer. I do have a question, I saw a reg. ortho instead of a ped’s ortho. Do you think I should get a second opinion? My daughter has no interest in moving or even putting pressure on it. Thanks for you time.

My 24 month old just broke his left femur and is in the hip spica cast. It’s been just a few days, and I can safely say that this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Watching your child in pain is horrible. I teeter from feeling like Supermom to feeling overwhelmed and crying my eyes out. Your video, suggestions and story really made me feel hopeful. Loved the scooter idea, as well. Thanks for sharing your story. It really helped me!

Thanks for the info. My daughter has hip dysplasia, where the hip bone is not in the socket. We will will be undergoing our 4th Spica cast and last,in Dec. We had done all your suggestions, but by trial and error. You are correct, Pampers or Huggies, not the cheap-ies! I laughed, we must have had every brand out there, I ended up donating them to her preschool. This time around however, she will be older, 3 1/2 and weighs more. (First cast went on at 18 months) That will be our challange. I will take your advice too on just getting out of the house. That is a good piece of info. I am a little nervous about the transporting, I need to start lifting weights now to prepare on lifting her. Will keep you posted. Thanks.

My daughter is also having surgery next month for hip dysplasia. We believe this may be the first of many orthopaedic surgeries for her, as well. She is going to be in the spica cast for 6 months this time. I am, of course, VERY nervous about this, as she is a very mobile little thing now. She is only 12 months old. Has anyone been through this with a younger baby?!? Would love any advice or suggestions! Thank you to all of you for sharing this information. It’s more than helpful to know that there is a cyber-support-system out there! Sincerely, Joni Weiss jonijones@aol.com

OH I couldn’t imagine being in the cast for 6 months. 5 weeks was a long time for us. Just keep positive and don’t let the cast stop you from doing things. She might be immobile but you have to keep that mind stimulated. Definitely request the special car seat so you can get out. My prayers are with you.

This is by far the best info I’ve found so far!! Our son is turning 4 in a couple of weeks and has already been in his cast for just over 2 weeks. Toileting has been a challenge as he’s totally toilet trained but we’re managing with a wide neck soft drink bottle (the one from hospital didn’t fit up between his legs!) I’m so worried about his recovery after it comes off but your comments have reassured me. This is great advice, thanks a heep for the bar stool idea, all the best.

thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to write this. my 3 year old got a femur spiral fracture 3 days ago and this is WONDERFUL and SOOOO helpful.

THANK YOU!!! Our first day in the cast and I was looking for help online! So far as good as can be expected– hoping the pain goes away for my little guy soon. THANKS!
Betsy J´s last blog ..What the World Needs is…..

Thank you so much for all this very sound advice, I am at my wits end this morning. We have a 4 year old in a cast since yesterday and we are really really battling with toilet time. She is totally potty trained and refuses to wear a nappy again. We are kinda holding her up over the toilet, but its not working … we now have a smelly cast and I am at a loss. She will be in this for 6 weeks.

My good friend’s 2 1/2 year old just broke her femur. Your article was filled with a lot of great information. I’m going to forward it to her right now. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this information.

thanks so much for that. Im’ one of the grandmas and I really appreciated your knowledge. I think it was so super of you to share this.

My grandson, Benjamin, is my little buddy. He fractured his femur 2 days ago. My heart broke when I saw him in the spica cast. We will have to postpone sliding down the 2-person slide together and instead read lots of books. This weekend I plan to put together a “scooter” for him like the one shown in this article made from a bar stool. Thanks so much for these posts.

Just wanted to thank you for this informative post. We are getting ready for a surgery for a femur reallignment for my 1.5 year old, which will leave her in a body cast for a month. Your post has offered so many useful tips and even the pictures demystified the scary idea of a “body cast”. I think we’ll cope Thank you again!

Thank you so much.My 2 year old daughter is going into hospital next week to have her dislocated hip fixed.Not much is out there for spica casts and the thought of it is very very daunting.Thank you and bless you Steph xx

Stephanie, I’ve been so out of touch with you I had no idea this happened. I’m so glad Ev is OK. I hope I never need this information, but it’s good to know where to look if I ever do.

Thank you so much for this information. My son fractured his femur this past Sunday and has the exact same cast your son had, same leg and all. His follow-up appointment is February 10,2010 and I’m praying he can get it off soon after. It has been a challege and I’m in nursing school as well so its been tough. But the nights seem to be the worst. On a good note its been six days and he’s already trying to lift his upper body and do things on his own. I’m just ready for these weeks to fly by. But it’s quite helpful knowing that all these other parents can relate. Anyways, thanks again.

Thanks so much for sharing. Last April my then 2 1/2 year old son broke his left femur running with crocs on . He also took 3 weeks to walk but now we are facing another obstacle. It seems his leg was not set correctly in the cast and his left leg is an inch shorter. Unfortunately we might be going down the same road again. We have an appt next week. I am sooo sad. It really does break their spirit! I know we will get through and it is always nice to hear some other tricks. I love the stool on castors!! I am so glad everett is doing well!!

Thank you for taking the time to write this. There is very little quality information to hand in this situation.

How you take the small things for granted..

My son is 2.5 years old he and he has a closed spiral fracture of the femur. It has been hell for my family and I. My husband has taken time off to be a stay at home dad with our son Justin…… so I commend him for that!! I’m just a little annoyed with the hospital because they didn’t give us information on spica cast care and when they took him into the O.R. they told me he would be in a cast and when he came out we were alarmed by this massive cast. Its hard and I am not sure how long it will take to heal. I too also had to go through the child abuse investigations and because I live in New York City (ACS) must visit our home twice a month. Its hard to cope!!!!! I have also noticed my two year olds anger. He has been very demanding and upset. I just want him to be his self again.

We are 6 days into a femur fracture with spica cast on our little boy that just turned 2 in February. The comments help me remember that I am not alone in this!

A comment on CAR SEATS – we were sent home from the hospital with a car seat for just such an occasion as a spica cast. It is a Britax brand and it is their “hippo” model – the seat does not have sides so there is room for the spread-eagle angle of the cast. We have it on loan from the hospital until it is no longer needed.

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