Final answer:
Toddler fractures are accidental fractures due to the active and developmentally uncoordinated nature of children between 1 to 5 years old. They are commonly caused by excess bending stress resulting from falls or impacts during play, but can also occur more readily if a child has bone-weakening conditions like rickets or osteoporosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Toddler fractures are accidental fractures due to clumsiness, which is consistent with the active lifestyle and physical developmental stage of children in that age group. These fractures are often the result of the excess bending stress that bones undergo when a child falls or impacts their body against a hard surface during normal play and exploration. However, fractures can occur in instances of abnormal bone conditions like osteoporosis or nutritional deficiencies such as rickets, which lead to weakened bones prone to fracturing upon mild trauma or even without any apparent stress.
Children are rapidly growing during the toddler years, but even so, fractures should not be a common occurrence. Proper nutritional intake including calcium and vitamin D, along with safe play environments, are key factors in preventing such injuries. If a child does experience a fracture, the body's healing process involves osteoblasts forming new bone, which generally takes two to three months for compact and spongy bone to properly heal the break site.