Learn about growth pain in children

Growth pain in children is a common condition that usually develops in the legs and resolves on its own without the need for medical treatment.

Recently, your baby loves to say that he has constant leg pain in the afternoon, evening or before going to bed. You panic, worried because you do not know what this is the situation? Chances are your baby is going through a period of pain growth.

Let aFamilyToday Health to learn about growing pains in children for the treatment, effective pain relief for your baby.

What is growth pain in children?

Growth pain is not a disease and you probably don't need to see a doctor either. However, this can be painful and uncomfortable for young children. Usually, growth pain occurs when the baby is between the ages of 3 - 5 or 8 - 12 and stops when the baby stops growing. During the puberty years , most children will no longer feel the pain caused by growth.

Causes of growth pain in children

Growth pain does not damage the area around the bones or joints, but only affects the muscles. For this reason, some doctors believe that growing pain in children can be caused by being too active. Running, climbing or working at full capacity during the day will easily make your child sore legs at night.

Symptoms of pain growth in children

Pain-focused growth takes place in muscles instead of joints. Most of the time, your baby will feel pain appear in the thighs before, in calves or behind the knees. Usually, both a child's feet will hurt.

Joints affected by more serious illness will show signs of swelling, redness, pain or a warm feeling if touched. Meanwhile, the joints of young children suffering from growth pain will appear normal.

Growth pain in children begins to take place around bedtime. So, sometimes your baby may not be able to feel this pain happening because he is asleep, but when he wakes up, he will be annoyed by the pain in his legs. The good news for you is that the growth pain usually goes away in the morning.

Diagnose your baby is suffering from growth pain

One symptom that doctors find most helpful in diagnosing growing pain in children is how babies react to touch when pain occurs. Children with medical pain often do not like to touch or let the doctor rotate their muscles as this can make the pain worse. But for babies with growth pain, they feel better when hugged, massaged and cuddled.

Remedy for growth pain in children

There is no specific form of treatment for growth pain in children. On the other hand, these pains do not cause other problems and they do not affect the baby's development. The condition should subside gradually over a year or two.

In addition, you can refer to tips to help your baby feel more comfortable, including:

Baby foot massage:  Most children often have a positive reaction to gentle massage. Others like to be hugged or cuddled by their parents to relieve pain. Therefore, you should massage the baby's feet.

Hot compresses: High temperatures can help ease muscle pain. Use a hot compress on your baby before going to bed or when he feels uncomfortable due to leg pain. Giving your baby a warm bath before going to bed can also help.

Stretching exercise: Encourage your baby to do stretches of the leg muscles during the day to help prevent pain at night.

Use pain relievers: If your child is too uncomfortable, you can give him pain relievers with the active ingredient ibuprofen or acetaminophen . Absolutely do not let your baby take aspirin due to the risk of Reye syndrome - a rare but serious condition associated with aspirin use in young children.

When to take the baby to the doctor?

Parents need to remember that growth pain occurs only in both legs. Only pain in one leg can be a sign of serious conditions. When your baby has the following symptoms, take him to the doctor for a more thorough examination:

Fever

Weak

Lost weight

Tired

Rash

Not good

Unusual behavior

Pain caused by injury

Swollen, painful, and red joints

Limping or having difficulty moving.

Although the growth pain in children is not related to the illness, they still upset your baby. Therefore, parents should encourage and reassure their children. This condition will go away as the child gets older.