Five Things to Know if Your Toddler Needs an Arm Cast

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  1. Prevention: I thought my crib was lowered all the way. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. Toddlers are more prone to wrist injuries than adults, so try to protect them as much as possible. When I move my son to a toddler bed, I’ll take away anything in his room he could possibly jump off of (ok, I might leave the rocking chair, but I’ll review my monitor after the first night to see if he tried to climb it).
  2. Pain Meds: Toddlers can take over-the-counter pain meds (in the correct dosage) every six hours or so. I get grumpy when I’m in pain, so of course, my toddler gets grumpy when he’s in pain. I can tell when his meds are wearing off because his fussiness increases quickly. Talk to your doctor, of course, but don’t feel bad about giving your child relief.
  3. Elbow Use: Doctors like to extend toddler casts over the elbow so the little folks can’t pull them off easily. I fought against this, and I’m glad I did. My small dude loves his independence; not being able to bend his wrist would be a real bummer, and he would have been even more miserable. The person who cast my son told me that if we made it through the first day without him pulling it off, we would probably be fine. I kept him distracted that day (ice cream and cartoons), and it’s still on a week later.
  4. Waterproof: Our cast can be completely submerged in water. It’s amazing. We’ve had no issues with bath time, and he could even go to swim class if he needed to.  Depending on your insurance coverage situation, the waterproof cast could cost more (ours did not). If you have the extra money, I think it’s worth it.
  5. Resilience: Toddlers are strong creatures. Jett was upset the first couple of days, but then he moved on. He still plays with his toys, feeds himself, and gets plenty of exercise. If you don’t treat the cast like a big deal, they won’t either. I bought him a toy on day two so he would have something newer than the cast to focus on.