Your Child’s Plaster Cast – What you need to know!

Care of your child’s arms and legs in plaster cast

Encourage your child to move their fingers and toes regularly.

Your child should keep their arm elevated in a sling if required for at least a week but needs encouragement to elevate their arm or leg regularly to prevent stiffness and reduce tendency to swell.

Pain

Children usually suffer some discomfort after breaking a bone for the first few days. Pain killers can be given if required, if pain persists or you are worried contact the orthopaedic department.

Your child’s plaster cast

Your child’s plaster takes a couple of days to dry, during which time it is important not to rest it on hard surfaces as it may dent or crack. Please allow plaster cast to dry naturally. If your child is in a fiberglass cast it will only take 20 minutes to dry. Keep plaster clean and dry if possible.

If you notice any of the following please contact the hospital

• If the cast becomes tight, loose, cracked or broken
• If there is leakage through the cast or if there is an unusual smell from the cast
• If the cast rubs against the skin causing irritation or redness
• If the pain in the arm or leg increases, numbness, pins and needles
• Marked blueness, whiteness which causes discomfort.

School

If your child is comfortable, they should be able to return to school if school allows. However, it is important that your child attends all their fracture clinic appointments; no PE, games or swimming whilst in cast.

Problems

If you are worried about your child, please ring the ward or department your child attended with appropriate details.