May 26, 2012
Topics A-Z Pain My 2 year old daughter is having leg pain since 6 months, what could be the cause?
My 2 year old daughter is having leg pain since 6 months, what could be the cause? |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: My daughter is 2 and has been having pain on and off for 6 months on her leg. It started out being every few days and now its all the time. she is even waking up unable to walk and now tries to avoid putting much weight on it. What could cause this? Dear Melanie: Though there may be many causes on leg pain in a child, in my opinion it is important to rule out juvenile idiopathic arthritis in your daughter. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an immunological disease where there is inflammation of the connective tissue present in the bones and joints. It is usually seen in children less than 16 years of age. The disease may affect a single joint, multiple joints or may present with systemic symptoms like fever and rash. A child with juvenile idiopathic arthritis may present with symptoms of joint pain, swelling and stiffness which is more pronounced in the morning. The child may refuse to weight bear especially in the early mornings. Parents usually note improvement with over the counter NSAIDS. You may need to consult your pediatrician to investigate the joint pain further. A thorough physical examination along with blood test to look for antinuclear antibody (ANA) rheumatiod factor and imaging studies may help in the diagnosis. Treatment include medications like NSAIDS and DMARDS (disease modifying antirheumatic drugs), physical therapies, splints and casts and surgery in severe cases. Overall 35-70% of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis get better with treatment. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 10 November 2011 ) |
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