Product Description
Pediatric Figure-8 Clavicle Splint & Posture Support
This is one of our best slings for a broken clavicle that fits toddlers, children and youths. How does it work? The padded clavicle splint straps wrap around the shoulders, holding them in a rolled back position that immobilizes the collarbone area. The clavicle protector also supports the shoulders.
Unlike a child-size arm sling for a broken collarbone, a figure-eight brace immobilizes both shoulders and leaves the arms free. Besides being more comfortable for your busy child or toddler, this also helps prevent him or her from losing strength and flexibility during the recovery period.
The retracted (rolled back) position the collar bone guard promotes also prevents your child from slouching. If you decide to use it as a rounded shoulder posture brace, your child should start by using it for 30 minutes at a time and gradually increase to three-hour increments. Using the pediatric support for slouching for longer than three hours at a time can cause the muscles of the back, shoulders and chest to weaken, doing more harm than good.
We also offer a figure-eight brace specifically designed for fixing posture, mild scoliosis and kyphosis. Its straps are a bit narrower and it has front attachments that are easier to access. Learn more on the difference between clavicle braces and posture supports.
Collarbone Brace Fits Toddlers, Children and Teens
Once of the best “features” of this pediatric clavicle support is that it comes in a variety of sizes—a good fit is key to a clavicle sling for children actually working.
- X-small for children (fits chest circumferences 20 inches to 24 inches)
- Small for youths or small adults (fits chest circumferences 24 inches to 30 inches)
As you can see from the range of chest circumferences each pediatric shoulder brace fits, each size can be adjusted by several inches. Doing so is easy thanks to the figure-eight brace’s fastener closures. But since these straps attach at the back, you will need to help your child get the size just right.
The figure-eight straps of this clavicle fracture sling are just 2.25 inches wide, which is narrower than the adult version of this brace.
A Soft Brace for Clavicle Fractures That’s Easy to Use
The padded straps are covered in a soft material that’s comfortable against the skin and free of latex. There is also a felt pad at the back of the brace that adds a layer of protection between your skin and the plastic D-ring triangle that connects the two straps of the child-size collarbone brace.
Once you have this butterfly sling for clavicle fractures adjusted to the right size, putting it on is simple. Your child can simply slip it around the shoulders in the same way she would put on a backpack.
Another must when it comes to a clavicle (or any) brace for a child is that it can be cleaned. This children’s collar bone brace can be washed by hand using cold water and mild soap. Be sure to close the fastener closures before doing so. The collarbone protector should be air dried.
The youth clavicle protector comes in a gender-neutral white color.
How do I Know if my Child has a Collarbone Fracture?
Unfortunately, a collarbone fracture is a common injury among children. This long, thin bone across the top of the chest that connects the shoulder blade to the breastbone is pretty unprotected and does not fully harden until we are around 20 years old.
A fall onto an extended arm or shoulder is often to blame for these breaks. For babies, birth itself can fracture the collarbone. Symptoms of a clavicle fracture include:
- Pain that worsens with shoulder movement
- Inability to move the shoulder
- A grinding/crackling sound with shoulder movement
- A bulge on or near the shoulder
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Stiffness
A baby with a fractured clavicle may not move the arm for a few days after birth.
How Does a Kids’ Figure 8 Sling Help Treat a Clavicle Break?
In most cases, surgery is not needed to treat a collarbone break. This is almost always true when it comes to healing a child’s broken clavicle. Non-surgical treatment will involve resting, protecting and supporting the shoulders, which is where this clavicle brace for kids comes into play.
The padded straps of the clavicle fracture brace for young kids holds back the shoulders, keeping the collarbone area still and preventing more damage from occurring. The broken clavicle sling also supports the sore shoulders and gives healing a chance to occur.
You can apply ice to the shoulder to manage pain and swelling. A doctor may also recommend medication to help with this.
While immobilization is necessary for treating a fractured clavicle in toddlers through adults, holding this area of the body still for weeks can lead to a loss of flexibility and strength. For that reason, physical therapy is often part of treatment.
Surgical Treatment for a Collarbone Fissure
Clavicle surgery might be needed if:
- The bone has broken through the skin
- The collarbone is severely displaced
- The clavicle has broken into several pieces
In such cases, a surgeon will likely use hardware such as plates, rods or screws to fix the bone in place so that it heals properly.
After surgery, your child will likely need to rest and ice the region to bring down swelling and pain. He will likely need to wear a kids’ arm sling to immobilize the broken collarbone or some other child-size shoulder immobilizer.
Again, physical therapy may be needed to get the shoulder and arm back to normal.
Pediatric Shoulder Support Also Improves Posture
Bad posture is pretty common among kids and teens. Heavy backpacks, poor self-esteem and hunching over a laptop, phone, tablet, etc. can all lead to bad posture. And while some instances of poor posture are due to structural abnormalities of the spine, many cases of poor posture, including those listed above, can be corrected.
Wearing a shoulder brace for posture makes your child sit with the upper back and spine straight. Doing so can correct imbalances in back and chest muscle strength and flexibility.
A kid who is used to a more slouched posture may also need the added support of the pediatric posture brace to hold the shoulders back at first. You should gradually increase the amount of time your child wears the youth shoulder support, maxing out at three-hour increments.
There are also some exercises that can improve posture.
FAQs on BraceAbility's Pediatric Clavicle Support
- What conditions / injuries does this children's clavicle brace treat? It treats breaks to the clavicle (collarbone) as well as poor posture.
- How does it work? The figure-8 brace holds the shoulders in a rolled back position that immobilizes the collarbone region, protecting it from damaging movement and supporting the shoulders as the collarbone heals. This brace holds your shoulders in a manner that makes your child keep his upper back and spine straight, which over time can change his muscle memory and fix bad posture.
- When should my child wear it? If you are using this as a fractured collarbone brace, your child should wear it as directed by your doctor, but she will likely need to wear the support for several weeks. Such injuries typically take three to six weeks to heal for children. As a youth posture correcting brace, a child should wear it for 30-minute increments to begin with and gradually increase use to three-hour intervals.
- How do I know which size to get? You can use fabric or a flexible tape measure to find the circumference of your child’s chest measured at the bottom of the sternum. The brace is available in sizes X-small and small, fitting circumferences ranging from 20 inches to 30 inches.
- How do I adjust the brace to make it smaller or bigger? To adjust the fit, undo the fastener closures and pull the straps tighter until a desired level of support is reached. Since the straps are in the back, your child will need assistance to adjust the brace as he or she will not be able to reach the straps.
- How do I put this brace on my child? Unfold the brace and lay it flat to identify the left and right straps. Undo the fastener on the ends of the straps. Feed the end of the right strap through the right side of the plastic triangle buckle and attach the closure. Repeat with left strap. The brace should now be in a “figure-8” shape. Slip the brace on your child like you would to put on a backpack. The triangle buckle should point down and the shoulders should be gently pulled back. If your child experiences any pain or discomfort, adjust the brace by loosening the straps.
- Can I wash the brace? Yes, this brace is washable. Make sure to close all fasteners and hand wash in cold water with mild soap. The brace should be air-dried; do not use high temperatures to wash or dry.
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Other features:
- Protective felt pad protects the midpoint of back against the plastic triangle where the straps meet.
- Brace features a low-profile design.
- Color: White.