P13: Birth injury to skeleton

P13.2: Birth injury to femur

There is a femur in each leg. The upper end of the femur forms part of the hip joint. The lower end of the femur is part of the knee joint.

The child is subjected to great pressure during a vaginal birth. This pressure is necessary for the child to be born through the pelvis and the vagina. The pressure, plus the narrow birth canal, can break one of the child’s bones during the birth. If the child is very large, difficulties can occur when passing through the birth canal. Certain manual interventions may then be needed to help with the child's birth. In the process, a bone may break.

If one of the child’s bones gets broken, mobility problems may result. There may also be a swelling and pain.