If your child is limping after an injury please see our leg injury page
If they haven’t had an obvious injury, they may need to be seen by a healthcare professional to look for other possible causes.
Please give your child paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain if they are limping.
Please see Red-Amber-Green tables for advice on when and where to seek care for your child.
When should you worry?
If your child has any of the following:
- Breathing very fast, too breathless to talk, eat or drink
- Working hard to breathe, drawing in of the muscles below the ribs, or noisy breathing (grunting)
- Breathing that stops or pauses
- Is pale, blue, mottled or feels unusually cold to touch
- Difficult to wake up, very sleepy or confused
- Has a fit (seizure)
- Has a rash that does not go away with pressure (the glass test)
You need urgent help.
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency (A&E) Department or call 999 - dial 999.
If your child has any of the following:
- Is unable to put any weight on their leg
- Is no better after 48 hours
- Develops a fever above 38oC.
- Swollen, red or hot joint
- Breathing a bit faster than normal or working a bit harder to breathe
- Dry skin, lips or tongue
- Not had a wee or wet nappy in last 8 hours
- Getting worse and I am still worried
You need to contact a doctor or nurse today.
Please contact your GP surgery or call NHS 111 - dial 111.
If symptoms persist for 4 hours or more and you have not been able to speak to either a member of staff from your GP practice or to NHS 111 staff, recheck that your child has not developed any red features.
If none of the above features are present
- Watch them closely for any change and look out for any red or amber symptoms
- If your child has a long term condition or disability and you are worried please contact your regular team or follow any plans that they have given you
Self care
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your child, speak to your health visitor, local pharmacist or call NHS 111– dial 111.
Self care and Prevention
What should you do?
Give your child regular ibuprofen for a few days. You can also give paracetamol to help with the pain.
Your child should rest as much as possible until the symptoms have resolved. You can then allow your child to gradually return to their usual activities.
What causes limping without injury
Irritable hip is the most common cause of hip pain and limping in a child. It often occurs after a recent viral illness such as a cold, sore throat, or diarrhoea and vomiting. It is caused by inflammation of the lining of the joint and fluid inside the joint. Its peak age of onset is 5 to 6 years.
However, irritable hip shares the symptoms of more serious hip conditions, such as septic arthritis (an infection inside the hip). If your child has a fever or they are not improving after 48 hours they should be seen urgently by a healthcare professional.
How long will it take for your child to get better?
Your child should start getting better within a couple of days.
If they are no better within 48 hours, or not back to normal within 7 days, you should arrange for them to be assessed by your GP surgery.
More information on limping is available at nhs.uk.
Where should you seek help?
If it is non-urgent, speak to your local community pharmacist or health visitor.
If your child has any of the above features in amber, urgently see your GP. For an urgent out-of-hours GP appointment, call NHS 111.
You should only call 999 or go your nearest A&E department in critical or life threatening situations or if your child is showing any of the signs in the red section above.
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