Broken bones always need professional attention, but there's action you can take immediately to help the casualty.

Because children tend to put their arms out as they fall, arms, elbows and wrists are where breaks tend to occur.

Symptoms

• Intense pain
• Inability to use the limb
• Bruising or deformity at site of the break

Actions - broken arm

• Sit child down
• Ask them to support injured arm with other hand
• Put a pad between arm and chest
• Put injured arm in a sling
• Place a broad-fold bandage over sling and around arm and chest
• Take child to hospital

Actions - broken leg

• Lay child down and support leg at ankle and knee joints - by hand if an ambulance is expected soon, or on a chair if not
• Steady injured leg with padding
• Put rolled-up blankets outside injured limb and between legs
• Keep child warm
• Go to the nearest hospital.