Children are surprisingly tough, but early educators know all too well that a child's body can be just as fragile as it is strong. In this issue of "Be on the Safe Side," the topic is a relatively common injury experienced by young children--nursemaid's elbow.
What is nursemaid's elbow?
Nursemaid's elbow (also known as radial head subluxation, dislocated elbow, or pulled elbow) is an injury where a child's elbow becomes partially dislocated. Dislocation means the bones have been pulled out of place. While this sounds quite painful--and it certainly can be for many little ones--it can fortunately be remedied relatively quickly by a health care professional. After successful treatment, the child should feel immediate relief but will be more likely to have another dislocation of the elbow in the future.