Foot or Toe Crush Injury, No Fracture (Child)

Home care

Your child's health care provider may prescribe medicine for swelling and pain. Follow all instructions for giving medicine to your child. If pain medicine was not prescribed, ask what medicine you should give your child for pain. Don't give your child aspirin unless told to by the provider.

General care

• Infants and toddlers. Your child may be given a splint, shoe, or boot to protect the injured foot or toe while it heals.

• Older children. Your child may be given crutches to keep weight off the affected foot. Help your child use the crutches as instructed. Your child should not walk or put weight on the injured foot until the health care provider says it's okay. A splint is likely to break if the child walks or puts weight on it.

• If the wound starts bleeding, apply pressure directly to the spot that is bleeding. Hold the pressure for 10 minutes without stopping.

• Keep the affected foot raised to reduce pain and swelling. This is most important during the first 48 hours after injury. As often as possible, have the child sit or lie down and place pillows under the child's leg until the affected foot is raised above the level of the heart. For infants and younger children, watch that the pillows don't slip and move near the face.

• Put a cold pack on the injury to help control swelling. To make an ice pack, put ice cubes in a plastic bag that seals at the top. Wrap the bag in a thin towel. As the ice melts, be careful that the cast or splint doesn’t get wet. Hold the pack on the injured area for up to 20 minutes every 1 to 2 hours on the first day while your child is awake. Continue this 3 to 4 times a day for the next 2 days, then as needed. The cold pack can be placed directly over the splint, unless you are told otherwise. If the child has a boot or shoe, open it to apply ice, unless you are told otherwise.

• Care for a splint, shoe, or boot as you've been instructed. Don't put any powders or lotions inside the splint. Keep your child from sticking objects into the splint.

• Keep the splint, shoe, boot, or removable cast dry. Unless you're told otherwise, a boot or shoe can be removed for bathing.

• If the injury includes exposed cuts or scrapes, care for these as you have been instructed.

• Watch for signs of infection listed below.

• If a toenail has been injured, it may fall off. A new one will likely grow back within a month or so.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child's health care provider as advised.

Special note to parents

Health care providers are trained to see injuries such as this in young children as a sign of possible abuse. You may be asked questions about how your child was injured. Providers are required by law to ask you these questions. This is done to protect your child. Please try to be patient.

When to get medical advice

Call your child’s health care provider right away if your child has:

• A fever (see Fever and Children below).

• Pain that gets worse.

• Fussiness or crying that can’t be soothed.

• Redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage from a wound, or bad odor from the splint.

• A boot, shoe, or splint that gets wet, soft, or damaged.

• Swelling that gets worse. Loosen the splint first to see if this fixes the problem.

• Toes of the injured foot that are cold, blue, numb, or tingly. Loosen the splint first to see if this fixes the problem.

• New symptoms or symptoms get worse.

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal. For children younger than 3 months, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal). This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic). Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary). This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral). Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use the rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel OK using a rectal thermometer, ask the health care provider what type to use instead. When you talk with any provider about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below are guidelines to know if your young child has a fever. Your child’s health care provider may give you different numbers for your child. Follow your provider’s specific instructions.

Fever readings for a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child’s provider how you should take the temperature.

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher

Fever readings for a child age 3 months to 36 months (3 years):

• Rectal, forehead, or ear: 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• Armpit: 101°F (38.3°C) or higher

Call the health care provider in these cases:

• Repeated temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher in a child of any age

• Fever of 100.4° (38°C) or higher in baby younger than 3 months

• Fever that lasts more than 24 hours in a child under age 2

• Fever that lasts for 3 days in a child age 2 or older