My Son Got a Shot and Now Won;t Step on His Leg

Updated on May 27, 2012
D.N. asks from Chicago, IL
10 answers

My son had his 6 month visit Thursday. He got his vacinations, one in the left leg. Starting last night he will not stand on his left leg. He lets me squeeze it and he kicks but won't stand. I was wondering if any of you had that happen as well. I did not have any issues like this with my other kids. He is sometimes a bit moody too. I am not sure which one was inhis leg because he was screaming his head off being in a strange place and on the table in the exam room so I was more focused on him than asking which shot was in which leg. I do a staggered vac schedule instead of having the "required" at each visit.

I understand some do not like vacs and others are totally against them. I am not looking for a speech on how awful they are etc. I have decided that my family will have most that are available.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

That isn't uncommon... the shot goes into the thigh muscle, and it is still sore.....

I know when I got the flu shot last year and this year, my arm ached for a couple of days! However, a bit of achiness is much less a problem than getting the flu......

My kids also got all the vacs..... it is much better than having to watch a child suffer from preventable diseases like whooping cough, measles, and such.

Keep up the good work, mama.... I think the "staggered" vacs is a good idea, too... there are just so many they get nowadays!

3 moms found this helpful

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D..

answers from Charlotte on

Have YOU had a tetanus booster lately? Do you know how much your arm hurts for days after that shot? I have to have my booster next month and I am not looking forward to it! I make sure not to have it in my right arm because it hurts so much to use my arm afterwards, and I'm right-handed.

Keep giving him tylenol, and put him in a cool bath and gently massage his little leg. That helped my little guy - he was sticking his leg out straight and screaming the afternoon of the shot, and between the water and the tylenol, he started to feel better. I credit my daycare lady for knowing about the cool water, bless her heart! (I loved my daycare ladies! They knew so much!)

Keep up with your staggered schedule. A sore leg is better than whooping cough or measles, etc. Promise!

Dawn

4 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I am assuming at six months he doesn't walk? Pretty much what you are talking about is holding him up so he can kind of stand but he doesn't want to put weight on it?

If that is the case, he doesn't walk. He doesn't have the ability to work the little muscle out so it is sore. Nothing big, it will heal.

2 moms found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Cleveland on

I think it's pretty common, although it's just as common for us mamas to get upset and worried!
His little muscles are probably pretty sore in his leg, that's why he's not putting weight on it. I wouldn't worry much about it unless he keeps acting like that after a few days or if he were to get any other weird reactions.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.G.

answers from Provo on

I just remember when I got the shot in my shoulder in HS (tetanus booster? MMR?) I couldn't play piano for a few days it was so sore! I'd give it a bit of time...baths sometimes help.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from Provo on

I think my kids were like this occasionally. It helps a lot if you put a heating pad on his leg and rub it gently. Something else that might help is baby Motrin. Anything that will help relax the muscle will be good.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

It can take a few days for the soreness to go away.
Some warm bathes should help.
He'll be fine.

1 mom found this helpful

L.M.

answers from Dover on

Some shots cause more discomfort than others and being tensed up makes it worse so with your son acting this way now, it does sound like his leg is sore. Look at the leg and see if you can tell exactly where the shot was given (needle mark, redness, swelling, warm to the touch etc), ice it for about 10 minutes a couple of times a day for a few days and maybe give him a bit of Tylenol.

IF it is swollen, hard, and/or sore to the touch give the doctor a call because your son could need a antibotic. Sometimes they can get an infection at the injection site (has nothing to do w/ the vaccine itself) and if left untreated it could get nasty. Happended once to my daughter (shot in the arm), ironically it was the one and only time we ever had to hold her down and two days later it was red, swollen, hard, sore and sore to the touch. She even ran a low grade fever one day. One round of anitbotics, icing a few times a day, and she is good as new.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.G.

answers from Chicago on

I am for vaccines......ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.......but once when giving the vaccination, the nurse hit a nerve which cause our child to stop walking temporarily......she was 18 months......call the doctor and ask/let them know, but that is what happened to us. It did not happen with any of our other children or again with this child.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Some shots are deeper into the muscle tissue. Not just in the skin.
And if the muscle was tense at the time of the shot, then it will hurt more after.
For a baby, any "pain" can be really uncomfortable and they of course, do not have the communication ability to tell you what is sore.
Ask the Doc's office, which leg the vaccination it was given in.
But you said, it was the left leg but you are not sure.

At the time of any shot, Pediatrician's office, usually gives the parent a Fact Sheet of info about the shot being given. On it will be lots of info about after effects of a shot.

Call the Pediatrician's office, and see if you can give him infant Tylenol.

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