Miracle healing of the elbow
Demigods in white, my arse. The work of us paediatricians is very unspectacular. We only briefly become heroes when it comes to "nanny's elbow".
Normally, our everyday treatment is as exciting as FC Bayern Munich's 156th German football championship: professional but predictable, boring but usually successful. However, there is one case in paediatrics where we briefly become heroes with a single "magic move": nanny's elbow.
The condition is relatively common and occurs in infants, usually between the ages of one and four. A sudden pull on the forearm (for example when playing "Engele, Engele flieg" or when the child defies and drops while being held by the hand) leads to a so-called subluxation, i.e. a partial dislocation of the forearm bone in the elbow joint.
The result: the arm hangs down more or less limply and the child can no longer move it and complains of pain. Normally, no further diagnostics are required, especially no X-rays, if the cause of the accident is clear. The child is placed on a parent's lap and the forearm is quickly put back in place. After a few minutes, the child can move the arm normally again and is pain-free.
And we doctors enjoy our heroic moment :-).
Further interesting tips
U3 provision
A topic for new parents or people who are about to become parents: the U3 check-up. This is usually the first check-up that takes place at the paediatrician's practice. The U1 is actually always carried out in the hospital or maternity centre, and the U2 usually takes place there too.
U6 screening
The U6 screening is the doctor's favourite screening. Because at 10 to 12 months, the children are still cute and baby-cute and not yet so big that they can blow up the whole examination with a violent tantrum (yes, there's all that ...). In other words, the U6 is usually a very pleasant experience. How does it work?
School readiness
When should my child start school? This question is on the minds of many parents every year. Especially if their child's birthday is after the deadline for school enrolment. The solution is complex, but there are pointers that make the decision easier.