My son was playing at a friends house and was pushed hard into to corner of a laundry basket. He is five. The basket hit him right between his ribs. He seemed ok and there was no bruising but now at bed time he said that it hurts to breathe. Could he have cracked his sternum?
Hello, Your son is having blunt chest trauma. It can cause rib, sternum fractures, lung contusion, pneumothorax etcetera. All these can cause breathing difficulty and painful breathing. So better to get done chest x-ray to rule out internal lung pathology and fractures. If the chest x-ray is normal, then no need to worry much. Apply warm water pad on affected areas. Give him simple painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Don't worry, he will be alright but first, get done a chest x-ray. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.