Toddler with limp, irritable hip??

[StarStruK]

Hi, I am taking my daughter to the doctors later on today but wanted to post here for a bit of advice also.
My daughter is nearly 3 and since the weekend has started walking with a persistent limp for no obvious reason. I’ve typically googled and found all sorts of awful things but I’m suspecting she probably has irritable hip. She’s just getting over quite a nasty cold where she’s had a temperature on and off (I was called to collect her from pre-school last week and they said she was shivering and very hot) and she’s also off her food, eating very little and she’s had loose bowel movements.
Has anyone got experience of this and know what checks the doctor may want to do?
Many thanks.

Sounds like you may be right op and the GP is the best place to start, they usually do bloods and just monitor in most cases

They should refer for the relevant tests to exclude juvenile arthritis (which can be in various forms, and is commoner in boys). Not all hip pain is arthritis, but nearly all arthritis first shows as hip pain, especially Perthes.

So I'd expect a referral for scans.

We ended up being sent to hospital for more checks but the doctor decided it’s just part of a viral infection. They did lots of poking and prodding but no scans or blood tests because she wasn’t complaining of any pain. The discharge paperwork asks for her to be referred back in a week if she’s still limping.
Not sure what to think really, she was pretty miserable this morning and a bit stumbly, but still not complaining of any specific leg/hip/foot pain

Please keep an eye on her, monitor her gait, pain complaints etc and write them down. I once taught a child whose parent told me that they often complained of hip pain and limped but she put it down to them not wanting to do stuff and to ignore the moans.

Turned out it wasn't and they spent nearly a year immobilised in a full body cast.

Thank you, I’ll definitely keep a diary for the next week!