Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Toddler age 3 limping 2 weeks

81 replies

BethMck · 28/12/2024 20:34

Hello, sorry for the long post.

Just looking for a bit of advice please.. my ds is 3 in a week and started limping and complaining of pain in his right knee 2 weeks ago, he kept randomly saying ouch and then would refuse to walk or straighten his right leg, I took him to the gp after 4 days of him doing that and a random nose bleed that scared me.

Gp checked him over and said there was no sign of infection or illness etc, ds had no temperature and was walking fine and appeared to be in no pain when being examined, the gp said to take him to a&e to see the pediatrics for tests if he did it again at all, he continued doing it for the next few days, it would come and go and ds seemed absolutely fine other than refusing to walk on and off and saying his knee hurt, so I took him to a&e, the Dr there didn't seem bothered at all, said he is well so doesn't need an xray or blood test at that point and if he is still doing it in a week bring him back and they will run tests.

Fast forward a week and ds is still doing this on and off every day, it has become more often throughout the day, so from first doing it, going from doing it once or twice a day to now where he does it up to 5x in a day.. no other symptoms. I've heard of irritable hip and know this is the likely cause but surely the symptoms he has been having would be getting better rather than worse over the last week?

I am getting quite worried as I know painful limp in one leg can be something more serious! I'm going to take him back to get checked over on Monday and hopefully they will do an xray and blood test.

Has anybody else had their LO have Irritable hip that got worse after 2 weeks but then started to get better? How long did the pain and limping last for?

Anxiety is starting to creep in, I need some answers but when Dr's don't seem concerned it's frustrating 😔 thank you. X

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BethMck · 29/12/2024 01:18

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 29/12/2024 01:12

I'd be pushing for an x-ray. My friend's toddler limped for a week. He'd broken his leg!

This possibility was ruled out because I haven't witnessed an accident that made me think it could be injured, but I'm really hoping I haven't missed this, poor thing! The limp does come and go and he can charge around like nobody's business most of the time but then he will randomly shout out that his knee hurts and then can't walk on it, then can run around again later on! It's very strange, I'm just concerned that it's not improved over 2 weeks and rather getting worse and not better, I'm really hoping they will xray and take bloods now that it's been happening for so long

OP posts:
OhMaria2 · 29/12/2024 01:23

I fell and hurt my ankle as a child and had a limp for months. The dinner ladies that saw me fall and did first aid assured my mum that I could move it and walk on it so it wasn't broken. Of course not one adult questioned the limp, not at home not at school. Yes, it did hurt
Years later I broke my ankle and had an xray and was asked about my first fracture. I could walk on that too although painfully and once plastered up I wasn't allowed to.

Demand an xray asap

BethMck · 29/12/2024 01:33

OhMaria2 · 29/12/2024 01:23

I fell and hurt my ankle as a child and had a limp for months. The dinner ladies that saw me fall and did first aid assured my mum that I could move it and walk on it so it wasn't broken. Of course not one adult questioned the limp, not at home not at school. Yes, it did hurt
Years later I broke my ankle and had an xray and was asked about my first fracture. I could walk on that too although painfully and once plastered up I wasn't allowed to.

Demand an xray asap

Omg that is crazy! I have heard fractures can be missed in toddlers because they can't tell you very well what's happened and usually just carry on! I really hope that isn't the case as I would feel very guilty, although I would prefer that over anything more serious! Definitely going to request xray and bloods to try and get some answers asap

OP posts:
JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 29/12/2024 01:48

My friend has no idea how her toddler broke his leg. Dr said it could have been done by jumping and landing badly. Easy to miss...

OhMaria2 · 29/12/2024 01:50

Goodluck with it all!

BethMck · 29/12/2024 01:52

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 29/12/2024 01:48

My friend has no idea how her toddler broke his leg. Dr said it could have been done by jumping and landing badly. Easy to miss...

Totally makes sense tbf as he is a wild one! He was walking by 10 months and hasn't kept still a day since 😂 he is always running and jumping, will definitely mention this also, thank you!

OP posts:
BethMck · 29/12/2024 01:53

OhMaria2 · 29/12/2024 01:50

Goodluck with it all!

Thank you! 🤞

OP posts:
Sunseeker83 · 29/12/2024 07:16

My son had a tentative diagnosis of irritable hip at 14 months. He stopped crawling. 3 weeks later we finally got a diagnosis and it turns out it was a fracture in his leg.

I also know of a 3 year old diagnosed with JIA and one of their symptoms was a persistent limp

Duckduckgoose78 · 29/12/2024 08:44

My son had a limp for a few months and following 2 episodes of intense pain, A&E visits and an initial transient synovitis diagnosis, was x-rayed and confirmed to have Perthes just before he was 2. He was treated on a watch and wait with limited activity basis (no surgery) and was discharged with a fully reformed hip at 6. I'd push for a hip X-ray if I was you.

TwinklesToes · 29/12/2024 10:30

BethMck · 29/12/2024 00:23

This has been coming up when I have used Dr Google, I haven't looked much into it as I've been looking more into Irritable hip 'which the Dr's guessed it would probably be'

What were the symptoms? Did the pain come and go? And get worse rather than better? He's been this way for 2 weeks now which is worrying me as I thought it would have gone by itself by now! How is your LO now? I'm taking him in tomorrow and will push for an xray and blood test if xray is clear

Hi, my son is 36 now and is fine. The pain did come and go and we also noticed he was falling over for no apparent reason. I really hope you can get your little one sorted out.

31dayshas · 29/12/2024 10:51

Know of children still walking on broken legs and only limping occasionally. Also had experience of limping linked to viral illness.

Can you get review today at A&E? I would ask for an x Ray of whole leg, if that is clear would then ask for bloods.

BethMck · 29/12/2024 11:38

Thanks so much for all your replies, it is much appreciated!

I am going to take him back today as it has been 7 days since last time I took him and the Dr told me to bring him back after 7 days if symptoms persist. I will push for an xray and possibly blood tests if needed. Thank you all x

OP posts:
31dayshas · 29/12/2024 16:39

How did you get on?

BethMck · 29/12/2024 19:17

31dayshas · 29/12/2024 16:39

How did you get on?

They sent us to minor injuries clinic, checked his leg, moving it about and had him run up and down and jump, he did all that perfectly well with no pain so they said to give it 5 days and if he's still doing it take him to the gp and ask for a blood test to check for vitamin deficiency.. I told them I was concerned it might be something a bit more serious like cancer and he just shrugged it off and said he doesn't have a fever or anything so it's unlikely. So maybe I am just worrying for nothing as I do have health anxiety but I don't know.. think it's safe to say there's no fracture because he didn't ever flinch when he pulled his legs in all directions. I'm hoping it will start to improve over the next few days

OP posts:
Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 19:44

Limping you say...

Is he Keyser Soze?

BethMck · 29/12/2024 20:18

Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 19:44

Limping you say...

Is he Keyser Soze?

No idea what you mean??

OP posts:
Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 21:33

BethMck · 29/12/2024 20:18

No idea what you mean??

Kevin Spacey... "The Usual Suspects"...

Oh COME ON!!!!!!

BethMck · 29/12/2024 22:00

Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 21:33

Kevin Spacey... "The Usual Suspects"...

Oh COME ON!!!!!!

😂 nope sorry! Never seen this!!

OP posts:
Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 22:07

BethMck · 29/12/2024 22:00

😂 nope sorry! Never seen this!!

Ok...... It's a buddy/caper/gangster/heist movie....

The jist is that Kevin spends the entire film limping around in a effort to disguise his true identity.

Final shot of the movie is of Kevin slowly limping away after being released by Police without charge. We see Kevin slowly straighten up and begin to walk normally only for the audience to suddenly realise that he was the bad guy after all....

Is your son the Gangster Keyser Soze?

BethMck · 29/12/2024 22:18

Knowitall69 · 29/12/2024 22:07

Ok...... It's a buddy/caper/gangster/heist movie....

The jist is that Kevin spends the entire film limping around in a effort to disguise his true identity.

Final shot of the movie is of Kevin slowly limping away after being released by Police without charge. We see Kevin slowly straighten up and begin to walk normally only for the audience to suddenly realise that he was the bad guy after all....

Is your son the Gangster Keyser Soze?

Ahhh I see! Hmm I never thought of that possibility but seeing as doctors don't seem concerned and I am running out of logical ideas of what it could be, maybe he is in fact Keyser Soze!!

He is pretty gangster tbf, he's a little whirlwind that rules the roost 😂

OP posts:
physwizz · 29/12/2024 22:38

Hey op,

I'm a Paediatric physio.

If I were in your position I would insist on a hip X-ray.

Fingers crossed that things do improve on their own 🤞

BethMck · 29/12/2024 22:59

physwizz · 29/12/2024 22:38

Hey op,

I'm a Paediatric physio.

If I were in your position I would insist on a hip X-ray.

Fingers crossed that things do improve on their own 🤞

Hi, this is what I was going to ask for at the hospital today, they sent us to see a GP in the minor injuries department at a&e and he pulled my sons legs up and down and pressed and rotated his hips, as he did this my son made no expression that he was in pain, he also had my child run and jump which he also did happily and the gp decided this didn't warrant an xray, I didn't push it as my son didn't seem bothered at all being examined so I thought it mustn't be a problem with his joints or hidden fractures etc?

He said maybe vitamin D deficiency and told me to take him to my GP in a couple of days if no improvement and ask for a referral for blood test, should I ask my GP to refer for an xray as well or would you think there would be some element of pain when rotating the joints if the hip/knee joints were the issue?
Thank you.

OP posts:
physwizz · 30/12/2024 05:31

I'm sorry if I worried you. But not wanting to weight bear is a red flag and needs to be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Particularly if it's continuing this long.

Is the minor injuries department you took him to part of a a&e department with a children's hospital? I ask because otherwise certain conditions specific to kids sometimes are better seen by paediatric doctors, just for their experience.

I know it's not easy when you've been told everything seems ok by doctors and you don't want to waste peoples time by keeping on going back.

If it were my dc, and it really wasn't improving in any way yet, I would go back to the GP and explain that despite several examinations your son is still limping or refusing to bear weight intermittently. Children of that age don't 'put it on' so there is likely to be something bothering him, even if it hasn't yet shown up when he's been looked at.

An X-ray is the best way to check for more serious causes and to reassure everyone that this is not something which needs more attention Smile

physwizz · 30/12/2024 05:33

Also, a vitamin d deficiency, whilst common in winter, is unlikely to present as pain in just one leg.

brummumma · 30/12/2024 07:17

I would second filming the instances if you can and just be really forceful that something isn't right.

My child had a pronounced limp and one sided leg pain - which came and went initially - every time I took them to a&e they were "fine"! and within 3 weeks was in intensive care with Guillane Barre