I have no clue where this topic would fit... my coworker's baby has a broken leg (femur bone), it broke up & down instead of the usual side to side. Can anyone tell me HOW a baby can break their femur bone this way? She claims her boyfriend was bouncing the baby up and down on the bed and she came down too hard on the bed.. but I just don't see how this would break her leg? How high was he bouncing her? :confused: Geesh...

Anyway, the hospital is doing their part and child services are involved. I'm just wondering if any of you have ever heard of a baby breaking their femur bone on a bed.

This baby is the sweetest, most beautiful baby girl and she is such a good baby. It tears at my heart to know that she's in a partial body cast instead of smiling and discovering new things. Okay, gotta go, I'm at work and crying now...

Thanks for any info.

I think that it is good to get child services involved. Something was not right about the baby fracturing her femur.. If he was just bouncing her ... her feet shouldnt have been more than a couple of inches off the bed. Did the baby throw herself down or what? Keep yourself updated with your co worker...

Before you jump to conclusions...all accidents involving children have to be reported to Children Services. Maybe the baby slid off the bed? Maybe something was on the bed and her leg hit it. Maybe the head board has slits in it and she got her legs stuck. Accidents to happen with children and IF this is just an accident I would be mortified as a mother that people would actually think I would hurt my child. Don't turn your back on this woman either....who knows what her boyfriend is like. People who hurt their children don't take them to the hospital let alone announce it to co-workers, not typically anyway. I'm glad the baby is ok.

My step sister was a year old when she broke her femur, it also broke up and down, not across, and she also was jumping on the bed when it happened. The doctor told my step dad, that it was because she had just recently started walking and the impact on her legs was just too much to handle.

Good point..Thanks Bilivion

Well I would never think that she intentionally hurt her child or that her boyfriend did. However, I never thought a man that I waved and smiled at would kidnap my sister 5 seconds later, but he did. You just never really know people unless you're really close to them. I am just so concerned for this baby's health. The mother took her to the doctor for an earrache, the doctor sent her to the hospital saying she may have menengitis, the hospital did a spinal tap and said she doesn't have menengitis, she has a broken leg. Now they've been at the hospital for 6 days and they still won't release the baby to her. The boyfriend didn't say anything about possibly hurting the baby when he was bouncing her up and down, this didn't come up until they found out the leg was broken and started asking questions... so the boyfriend said "well maybe she broke it while I was bouncing her up and down"... and the mother said "oh yeah, she did have a different cry yesterday"... so I just find all of it odd. And her legs wouldn't be sensitive from just learning how to walk because she can't. The mother has like 10 cats and 2 dogs, there's cat and dog hair everywhere, so the baby can't crawl around on the floor and learn to walk. The only reason she knows how to crawl is from being on her mother's bed. It's a very sad situation and I hate to see this baby go through this. She turns one in less than 2 months, but now that she's in a partial body cast, she won't know how to walk before her 1st birthday.

I don't doubt that the mother loves the child, I know she does, but she could work on providing a better environment and life for her child. Okay, I'm done venting I think. :) Thanks for listening and thanks for your input.

You're right to be concerned. I would get suspicious if anything like that happened to someone I know. It sounds like Child Services is being very cautious. If they do release the child to her, they'll probably schedule regular visits or appointments to make sure the child is OK.

Well, babies bones are very fragile. My cousins dad and stepmom were fostering 3 little girls, and I was at their house one day when their younger daughter's friend (who was about 13 at the time) tripped on the stairs and fell with the baby. To keep her head from hitting she pulled up on her arm and twisted her around so the baby would fall on top of her. The incident just didn't look that bad at the time.

A few hours later the baby wouldn't stop crying, so they took her to the ER, worried she may have hit her head. Her head was fine, but she had an unusual spiral fracture in her arm. The doctors said it was a suspicious break, and the girls were removed from the home for 2 months while child services investigated the incident, despite statements from my cousin, both teenagers, both parents, myself, and the oldest child who was 4 that it was an accident.

Now, child abuse IS sadly all too prevalent, and over cautiousness is sadly nescessary in all cases. But I just wanted to let you know I have seen firsthand a baby end up with a broken bone from an incident that didn't seem like it should injure her.

Well, now that you have added another post. I am wondering myself what really happened to this baby. Only because, if a child broke its leg while bouncing on a bed, the childs leg woulda been sensitive too. and it makes me wonder why it wasnt taken to the doctor for that...not to mention, the swelling that occurs with a broken bone. Not all children scream when they break a bone, my son is proof of that, and the only reason that he got taken to the ER when he broke his arm swelled HUGE, I didnt think it was broken cuz he was whiny but not crying, but he wouldnt let me touch his arm, and he wouldnt hol d anything in his hand. But, there has to be more to the story I think, otherwise the boyfriend woulda said something about it, and she wouldnt have replied with, "well she did have a different cry yesterday"
Keep us posted.

That's what I said... why did he wait until police were involved? It's been over a month and she still doesn't have an update from child services. I spoke with my brother, he's a detective, just in another area from where this girl lives. He said the longest they usually keep the child away from their mother is 2 weeks, unless they found something or they're suspicious about the environment.

I'll keep you posted on what happens. And the baby got her cast off last Friday!!! Poor thing was so miserable. :(

Hmmm. I have an 11 month old. I can't picture my husband or I bouncing him so hard on the bed it would break his leg. If that is what happened her boyfriend must not be very responsible! They are still fragile at 11 months and my baby book says you shoulodn't rough house with a baby that young. And what you mentioned about the cats and dogs and how the baby can't crawl on the ground sounds very unsanitary and unhealthy. I really feel for that baby! I wonder what social services would think if they saw their house.

Had to post to this one.
Have a friend in town that her 9 mth old broke his femur. They have taken the baby away for now (living with her brother). But because of the age and how it happened, they have run tests for brittle bone disease. Awaiting results (it takes 4-6 wks). Her husband was up with the baby in the night to let her sleep and when he stood up his back went out and he started to drop the child, grabbed him by the foot to keep him from falling. The baby wailed and they did take him straight to the ER. Children's Hospital kept him for over a week after surgery and she and he husband could not go in the room unless someone else was with them. She also cannot see her son without someone present.
I KNOW there is no way she could hurt her child, but I don't really 'know' her husband that well and you just never know. She doesn't talk to ANYONE anymore. I have left papers about brittle bone in her mailbox and leave her messages at home and via email, but she has only responded twice. I know this is a very difficult situation for all involved.
Just thought I would give your co-worker something to look into, if the hospital hasn't already.