Femoral shaft fracture following oil massage in neonates: a single-centre experience.

Femoral shaft fractures following oil massage in newborns are very rare. We describe our observations at a tertiary centre in northern India. Three such cases encountered during the study period from July 2014 to June 2019 were evaluated. Sociocultural details, neonatal illnesses, mode of delivery, history of child abuse, type of fracture and management were recorded and analysed. All patients had a mid-shaft fracture after forceful oil massage by caring grandmothers. They all had complete union of fractures by the end of four weeks. This case series shows that mid-shaft fracture femur in neonates has excellent long-term prognosis, but the practice of oil massage needs to be modulated.