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How can you care for your child's metatarsal fracture?
- Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
- If your doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
- If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if he or she can take an over-the-counter medicine.
- Follow your doctor's instructions about how much weight your child can put on the foot and when your child can go back to his or her usual activities. If your child was given crutches, be sure he or she uses them as directed.
- Put ice or a cold pack on your child's foot for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when your child is awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your child's skin.
- Prop up your child's foot on a pillow when you ice it or anytime your child sits or lies down for the next 3 days. Try to keep it above the level of your child's heart. This will help reduce swelling.
Cast and splint care
- If your child's foot is in a cast or splint, follow the cast or splint care instructions your doctor gives you. If your child has a removable fiberglass walking cast or a splint, do not take it off unless your doctor tells you to.
- Keep the cast or splint dry. If your child has a removable fiberglass walking cast or a splint, ask your doctor if it is okay to remove it to bathe. Your doctor may want your child to keep it on as much as possible.
- If you are told to keep your child's cast or splint on, tape a sheet of plastic to cover it when he or she bathes. Or ask your doctor about products that can help keep a cast or splint dry. Water under the cast or splint can cause the skin to itch and hurt.
- Never cut the cast or let your child stick anything down it to scratch an itch on the leg.
Jones fracture in children: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- Your child has symptoms of a blood clot in the lung (called a pulmonary embolism). These may include:
- Sudden chest pain.
- Trouble breathing.
- Coughing up blood.
- Your child passes out (loses consciousness).
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- Your child has problems with a cast or splint. For example:
- The skin under the cast or splint is burning or stinging.
- The cast or splint feels too tight.
- There is a lot of swelling near the cast or splint. (Some swelling is normal.)
- Your child has a new fever.
- There is drainage or a bad smell coming from the cast or splint.
- Your child has increased or severe pain.
- Your child has tingling, weakness, or numbness in the foot and toes.
- Your child cannot move their toes.
- Your child's foot turns cold or changes color.
Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:
- The pain does not get better day by day.
- Your child does not get better as expected.
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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.