Key points about limping in children
- limping is when a child cannot walk normally but can still hobble around
- common causes of limp in tamariki include injury and irritable hip
- most tamariki with a limp will get better on their own, without any treatment
- if your child is limping, take them to a health professional to get checked
- If your child won’t walk or put weight on their leg, get urgent medical help
What is limping?
Limping is when a child cannot walk normally but can still hobble around. This is often because of pain or discomfort in their leg, hip, knee or foot. Most tamariki will experience a limp at some time in their life.
Signs and symptoms of limping
A child who is limping may:
- walk unevenly or favour one leg
- complain of pain in their leg, groin or back
- have swelling, redness, or warmth around a joint
If your child refuses to walk or put any weight on a leg, this is not limping. They need to see a health professional urgently.
Causes of limping in children
Minor injury
Sprains, strains and bruises are all common causes of a limp. These usually occur after a fall, twist or blow to the leg. If the injury is mild, the limp should improve within a few days.
Irritable hip
Irritable hip (transient synovitis) is also a common cause of a limp in young tamariki aged 3 to 10. It happens when the lining of the hip joint becomes inflamed. Symptoms include a sudden limp, hip pain, and sometimes a mild fever. It usually resolves within a few weeks with rest and pain relief.
Infection
An infection in a joint or bone is a rare but serious cause of limping in tamariki. This could be due to septic arthritis, osteomyelitis or discitis. An infection in a joint is a medical emergency.
Septic arthritis is a bacterial infection in a joint, usually causing severe pain, swelling, redness, and fever.
Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection in the bone, leading to deep bone pain, swelling, fever, and difficulty moving the affected limb.
Discitis is an infection in the disc spaces of your child’s spine.
If you are worried your child has an infection in their joint, bone or spine, seek urgent medical help.
Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis (SUFE)
SUFE is a condition in rangatahi where the head of the thigh bone slips out of position at the hip joint. It causes pain in the groin or knee and requires urgent treatment to prevent long-term joint damage.
Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis (SUFE)
Perthes disease
Perthes disease is a condition where the blood supply to the hip joint is temporarily interrupted. This causes the bone to weaken. It usually affects tamariki aged 4 to 10 and can lead to long-term hip problems if not treated.
Inflammatory conditions
Chronic inflammation in the joints can lead to limping. The most common inflammatory condition in tamariki and young people is juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This causes ongoing joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, especially in the morning. JIA can affect one or multiple joints.
Referred pain
Sometimes, a child may feel pain in the leg due to a problem elsewhere in the body. For example, a child with tummy pain from appendicitis may walk stiffly or limp.
Leg length difference
A noticeable difference in leg length can cause a child to limp. This may be due to a birth condition, previous injury, or an underlying bone growth problem.
When to get medical help for your child who is limping
Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or take your child to a health professional if they have a limp and:
- it lasts longer than 3 days
- pain
- swelling, redness or warmth around a joint
- they are unable to do their usual activities
When to get urgent help for your child with a limp
See a health professional urgently if:
- they refuse to walk or bear weight on a leg
- they have severe pain
- they have a fever
- they have tingling or a change in feeling in their leg
- if they are having pain at night that wakes them up
- you are worried they have a serious injury, like a fracture
- your child appears unwell
- they have night sweats, chills or weight loss
- you are worried for any reason
Diagnosing a limp in children
It can be hard to diagnose what is causing a limp in a child, as the pain could be coming from several different places such as their foot, leg, hip, or back. Tamariki may not be able to describe where or how it hurts. Sometimes they continue playing even though they're in pain. It is important to take your child to a health professional if they have a limp that is not going away.
The healthcare professional will talk to you about your child’s symptoms. They may examine your child and watch them walk.
Some tamariki may need some tests, such as a blood test, x-ray or scan, to help find out what is causing their limp.
Treating a limp in children
How your child’s limp is treated depends on what is causing it. Your health professional will talk to you about how to best manage their symptoms.
Pain relief if needed
If your child is limping and has pain, your health professional may recommend you try some mild pain medicine such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. You must follow the dosage instructions on the bottle. It is dangerous to give more than the recommended dose.
Rest
If your child has had an injury or has irritable hip they will need to rest.
Seeing a specialist
If your health professional is concerned that your child’s limp is caused by something more serious, they may refer you to see a specialist at the hospital.
Managing your child with a limp at home
Encourage rest
If your child has pain, encourage them to rest and avoid activities that worsen their pain.
Ice
If your child has had an injury, you can put ice on the painful area to help reduce pain and swelling. For the first 24 to 48 hours, apply ice wrapped in a damp towel to the painful area. You can do this every 2 to 4 hours for 20 minutes at a time.
First Aid For Sprains & Strains In Children
Monitor symptoms
If your child’s symptoms get worse or if they are still limping after 3 days, take them back to see a health professional again.
