A three-year-old child always complains that his legs hurt. Is it "growing pains"?

Why does my baby at home always complain that his legs hurt when he is so young?

Exclude the possibility of illness. I often feel pain in my legs. When I wake up from sleep, I just say my legs hurt...

My baby wakes up with leg pain after falling asleep at night. Is it growing pains? ?

I cry out that my leg hurts every now and then during the night, but it feels better the next day. The doctor says I have growing pains. Is this considered a calcium deficiency? The key point is that I am still on the low side

My right leg is a bit x-shaped. Sometimes I feel pain in my leg at night. I wonder if it is because of the x-shaped leg?

The above-mentioned inexplicable pain is all related to one word: growing pains.

Today we will talk about what exactly growing pains are and what we can do when our children have growing pains.

What exactly are growing pains?

Currently, there is no clear definition of growing pains.

But the "growing pains" we talk about every day are generally used to describe children who wake up with pain at night or during naps, but without any skeletal and muscle abnormalities.

"Growing pains," also known as "idiopathic nocturnal pain of childhood," are benign and usually disappear within 1 or 2 years of the initial episode.

Surveys of school-age children show that as many as 10-20 years old have experienced growing pains. The prevalence in girls is slightly higher than in boys.

What is the cause of growing pains?

Growing pains are uncommon during a child's most rapid growth period.

So, growing taller is not a factor that causes growing pains, and growing pains in children does not mean that they are growing taller.

It is generally believed that mood disorders and mental illness are possible causes of growing pains, but because growing pains have no serious consequences, there are no systematic research results.

Generally, increased physical activity in children, such as jumping up and down and running around during the day, may cause growing pains.

Children with low bone density may also cause growing pains. Some studies show that supplementing with this vitamin significantly reduces pain in children with low vitamin D levels.

Other studies have shown that genetic factors also contribute to growing pains. 70% of children with growing pains have family members with growing pains.

Characteristics of growing pains

1. The pain usually occurs later in the day, or the child wakes up with pain.

2. The pain is generally concentrated in the muscles (thighs, calves, knees) and is not specifically related to the joints, so the joints look normal.

3. Pain occurs at least once a month and lasts for at least 3 months.

4. The pain is intermittent, with an asymptomatic period lasting at least several days.

5. Increased activity during the day may aggravate pain.

6. The physical examination results were normal.

7. If auxiliary examinations are performed, the results will be normal.

How should children deal with growing pains?

Massage and stretching:

If your child complains about pain, give him a massage.

You can also stretch your muscles, which may reduce chronic symptoms.

Take analgesics:

Over-the-counter analgesics (such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen) and different forms of heat therapy may be able to provide emergency pain relief .

Giving acetaminophen or ibuprofen before bed may prevent your child from waking up during the night after being more active during the day.

Note that parents are not recommended to give medication to their children without permission.

If growing pains seriously affect normal activities, rest and learning, it is recommended to go to the hospital for pediatric treatment and use analgesics rationally under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Vitamin supplements:

Children with low vitamin D levels should use vitamin D and calcium supplements.

Physical therapy or correction:

Children with excessive activity, poor foot alignment, genu valgus and/or poor balance ability can be relieved by receiving physical therapy and/or using foot orthotics. pain.

These situations require attention!

Growing pains can usually be diagnosed clinically if the child has the classic signs of growing pains and is pain-free during the day and has no other health problems.

If your child has activity-related, unexplained joint pain, a thorough history and physical examination is needed to differentiate growing pains from other, more serious conditions.

If you find that your child is crying out in pain accompanied by the following conditions, you need to seek medical attention promptly for detailed diagnosis:

1. Long-term pain, pain in the morning, or swelling of a specific area or joint or redness.

2. Pain related to injury.

3. Fever.

4. Lameness, limping (may be infection, osteonecrosis, rheumatic disease).

5. An unusual rash appears on the child.

6. Loss of appetite.

7. Weakness.

8. Tired.

In general, growing pains are not a big deal, but they may affect sleep and make children emotionally depressed. Children with rich imaginations may also worry that they have a "terminal disease." In addition, growing pains generally disappear during the day, and some parents may feel that their children are pretending to be sick, which is really unfair...

So, try your best to help your children relieve pain and comfort them at the same time It is also necessary to look at the fragile little minds of children!

Finally, don’t take it lightly because you think your child is suffering from growing pains, thereby ignoring the possibility of other diseases. The most important thing is to take your child for examination and ask a doctor to rule out other diseases.