My child won't use her arm and keeps holding it against her side. What's going on?

She probably has "nursemaid's elbow," a condition that young children often get from being swung around while being held by the lower arms, or from being grabbed suddenly by the wrist. The jerky pressure on the elbow joint can pop the head of the arm's radius bone out of place. This isn't considered a complete dislocation of the elbow, which is extremely rare in young children. It may not even be painful enough for the child to complain, and the elbow won't look distorted. But your child will be uncomfortable and will refrain from using the arm until the joint is repositioned.

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What should I do about it?

Bring your child to your doctor or an emergency room where they can pop the joint back into place. A doctor can do this quickly and easily, and your child will be uncomfortable for only a moment. The doctor can even show you how to do this yourself should it happen again.

How can I prevent this from happening again?

Avoid jerking or pulling on your child's arms or wrists. If you're going to swing her around, swing her by both arms to evenly distribute the pressure on her elbows so you aren't more likely to pull one elbow out of joint.