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Camille is starting to worry: her little Inès has already woken up in the middle of the night several times, because her legs are very sore. The doctor was clear: these are growing pains. A mild disorder, but the origin of which is unknown. “We do not know where these pains come from,” admits Dr Chantal Deslandre, pediatric rheumatologist at Necker and Robert Debré hospitals in Paris.
When does the growth spurt begin?
We just know that they occur more in children hyperlaxes (very flexible) or hyperactive, and that there are probably genetic predispositions. The term “growing pains” is actually not appropriate because they have nothing to do with growing up. This syndrome indeed affects children from 3 to 6 years old about. However, it is before 3 years that growth is fastest. This is why specialists prefer to call them “musculoskeletal pain“.
Growing up takes time!
-From birth to 1 year, a baby grows about 25 cm, then 10 cm until 2 years.
– Between 3 and 8 years old, a child takes about 6 cm per year.
-The growth accelerates around puberty, with about 10 cm per year. Then the child grows still, but more moderately, for 4 or 5 years.
Pain in the legs: how to recognize a growth crisis?
If the origin of these symptoms is not known, the diagnostic is quite easy to install. The child wakes up screaming, often between midnight and 5 a.m. He complains about severe pain at the level of crête tibialis, that is to say on the front of the legs. The seizure usually lasts 15 to 40 minutes and resolves on its own, but reappears a few days later. To relieve the pain, “we can give it aspirin in small doses, 100 mg per day every evening, for four weeks, ”advises the rheumatologist.
Homeopathy to relieve growing pains
Can also resort to homeopathy: “I recommend ‘Rexorubia’, a spoonful a day for three months,” recommends Dr Odile Sinnaeve, homeopathic pediatrician in Talence. You can also, during the crisis, put a hot water bottle on your child’s legs, or give him a hot bath. We must also reassure him, explain to him that it is not serious and that it will pass.
When symptoms and their frequency persist …
If after a month your little one is still in pain, better consult. The doctor will check that your child is well, that he has no fever or fatigue associated. Some doctors recommend a anti-inflammatory cream, taking calcium, vitamin D or other minerals. So many small means that reassure parents and children. It is also possible to use acupuncture to relieve your child’s growing pains. Rest assured, these are not needles because for the little ones, the acupuncturist uses sesame seeds or small metal balls placed on the skin!
On the other hand, if other symptoms are associated, Additional tests are needed. Something more serious should not be missed. As for “growing pains”, don’t worry. Most often, they will quickly become a bad memory.
Auteur: Florence Heimburger