Have you ever wonder what makes a toddler tick? The recipe is simple: 1/3 Eveready Bunny, 1/3 weeble and 1/3 cute. If it weren’t for their endless energy, there really would be little need for Starbucks. The have a cute way of wobbling like weebles but unlike their toy cousins do fall – and often. They fall so often it can be difficult to decide which falls to worry about and which to ignore. Afterall, they can’t often tell us what hurts.

J is no exception. At 19 months of age and barely 3 feet tall, he has mastered the art of being on the go, and falling. Recently, however, a “routine” fall seemed different. He didn’t cry but did not get up as fast. Once he did get up, he seemed to wince when he tried to walk on his left leg and seemed content to just play with trucks on the floor. J’s leg actually looked fine and he did not seem in pain but his parents were concerned by his inability to dart about the house. They consulted J’s pediatrician who told them it sounded like a “toddler’s fracture” – a break in his shin bone. A trip to the orthopedist and x-ray confirmed the diagnosis and J was placed in a green and blue cast for 4 weeks. His parents kept mulling over the fall that broke J’s leg – it really was “nothing”; no different than his typical stumble. Was something wrong with J’s bones? Continue Reading

Q) Dear Dr. Gwenn:

My 3 yr old had an injury to her left foot. It is still has some swelling and she limps pretty bad in the morning, when it’s cold, or she has to run. We have taken her to her pediatrician 2 times. The first time and X-ray was done and no fracture could be detected. The second time was because 6 weeks had passed and no improvement. I would say it is getting worse now and we are on the 9th week.

What do you suggest? I’m a very tired mom from having her beg to be carried all the time. We have it wrapped and on Motrin (i.e. generic ibuprofen), but it’s just not improving.

Thank you for your help.
LK

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Q) Dear Dr. Gwenn:

My 3 year old boy has been limping for a little over 6 months. At first we saw an orthopedic doctor who thought it was growing pains and put him on naproxen twice a day. That did help as long as he took it but he still had a slight limp. If we missed a dose, the pain came back horribly.

Over the past month, his limp and pain worsened. We were sent to a rheumatologist and an ophthalmologist to be tested for arthritis. The tests came back negative. The rheumatologist put him on prednisolone with the naproxen. I was just wondering what the next step should be. I do not want to keep giving my 3 year old medicine unless it is necessary. What else could be causing this limp?

Thanks.

A

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