My two year old son has had a slight limp on his right side, stemming from the hip area for over a month. It comes and goes, which is why we didn't rush to the doctor right away. After about three weeks, I did make a call for him to be seen and x-rays of the entire right leg - hip to toes - were taken. No breaks or fractures were found. My doctor suggested we see an orthopedic specialist at A.I. DuPont just to be thorough (however, I'm still wait for the referral).
My son doesn't complain of pain other than during an occasional diaper change when he says his butt hurts, even though he doesn't have diaper rash. I've mentioned this to the dr. and he didn't seem concerned by that. I'm wondering if maybe it's not a bone/hip issue after all and something else. I'm just without answers and I'm wondering if anyone else has had a child with a similar issue...
Thank you to everyone who offered advise! I had scheduled a visit for my son to see a specialist at A.I. DuPont Children's hospital. Then about two weeks before our appt, the limp disappeared completely. I watched him closely for the next week and decided to cancel for two reasons - the limp didn't (and hasn't) come back AND we had a change in insurance and would have had to pay entirely out of pocket for the visit. It's hard to say what the issue was, but I feel good about the clean x-rays and will rush to get him seen if it re-appears in the slightest way.
my sister's son had a hip problem and it was a virus but sometimes it can be bacterial ... Toxic (Acute) Synovitis of the hip.
A chiropractor solved our problems -- one for my daughter that couldn't move her head well at 3 months and almost had to have a "helmut" and one for my son who's legs had a small limp as well.
My kids and I go every few months, nothing severe. She is VERY gentle and thorough, not at all like what you would think. My daughter, now 7, can tell me when she needs to go -- and can tell the doctor where she's "out" without error. My son's almost 3 and loves the massaging water bed:)
Your son might just be a little "out" in the hips, and feeling it through his sciatica (large nerves that travel the middle of each gluteous and thread through your hipbones). When I am "out" there, especially during pregnancy, my "buttbone" (the giant triangle bone at the base of your spine toward mid-bottom) would move to one side or the other, causing discomfort and tenderness.
Check around for recommendations in your area and good luck:)
My son had something similar when he was 2 also. We see a chiropractor and that helped almost immediatly. He saw him for a week or two specifically for his hips, and was sooooo much better.
There are an infinite number of answers to this question.
The best suited one is this:Never Ever Forget,MOTHER Knows Best."Doctors know your child 10 min. out of the year that you bring them in for that visit out of the 1,200 kids they see a year.
When you see something wrong,really wrong,it probably is.We're not talking about sniffles and poopies,or a scraped knee,so don't overreact but if you sense something is really out of place and your DR. isn't hearing you,take your child to someone else.Be persistent enough to help your child,you're their representative until they're old enough to speak for themselves.It could be neurological.He could have popped his leg out of joint like children do with their arm sometimes,they're made to be so flexible that playing in the park or gym can often lead to joint displacement and no one notices.Seek another educated opinion until you feel comfortable with the final resolution.After all,there is a phone book full of physicians to choose from right?Good luck and be well.
I agree with seeing a chiropractor or cranial sacral therapist. Also give him homeopathic Arnica a few times. It can heal unseen areas of injury that can go on and on.
Liz
I too would suggest the chiropractor. I never had chiropractic until this last year (I was a non-believer). I started working as a receptionist for a chiropractor and he offered me free chiro. I have seen wonderful pain free results for many patients young and old. I got pregnant with my second child 3 months after my first adjustments and continued throughout the pregnancy. It's an extremely healthy way to let your body heal itself. My pregnancy went so smooth this time around, including the labor. That aside, I had my newborn adjusted at 2 weeks old and she started sleeping through the night immediately. My 4 year old was having problems with nasal congestion so bad she talked funny. We tried antibiotics and allergy meds that never alleviated the symptoms, but her first adjustment di-clogged her within 5 minutes. I would try this option first before and anything else because it's non-invasive. Most medical doctors don't agree with chiro and think chiropractors are quacks, just as most chiropractors think medical doctors are drug pushers. So, don't expect your medical doctor to advise you in that direction. Good luck with whatever decision you make.
See if you can get your son in to see a physical therapist (one with a doctorate degree). They can diagnose problems. Your son may have some muscle or stabilization issues. I had the same problem. It would flare up and make me limp. Turns out I had a hip bursitis. I saw a PT for several weeks and did exercises to stabilize my hip and strengthen those muscles and now I'm back to running. It sounds unusual in a 2 year old, but possible. Listen to your mommy instinct on this. Call your Dr. back and ask about getting a PT referral before you see an orthopedic doctor. You usually don't have to be on a wait list to get in to see a PT.
P.S. Don't take your son to see a chiropractor a) they are usually not doctors b) they only know about back issues, unlike a PT that knows all about the body c) they don't teach you how to strengthen the muscles that will fix the problem they just fix it enough to keep you coming back every few weeks or so.
get a different doctor, and demand that referral right away! poor kid
I would definitely try to see another doctor and have more xrays. My daughter had a stress fracture that did not show up on xrays (in the first few weeks I was told sometimes it doesn't show) and then it wound up breaking and I had sadly let her walk around for a couple more weeks before bringing her back for more xrays. she never complained about it hurting...just limped. good luck! I hope you figure it out soon.
