Often have baby moms ask, the child during the day alive and well, to the night somehow shouting calf pain, to the baby massage massage calf can fall asleep, every now and then will shout leg pain, but the baby calf activities freely, the appearance of no redness and swelling, a lot of parents suspect that the child is not in the lie! What’s going on here? We may have wronged the child, this is actually “growing pains” trouble! What are “growing pains”? Recurrent, self-limiting, non-musculoskeletal limb pain that cannot be explained by parents, children or healthcare professionals is called “growing pains”. It is not new and was first described in the medical literature in 1823. It is most common in children aged 2-12 years, with an incidence of 4-37%. Another survey found that 10%-20% of school-age children had growing pains. Is “growing pains” caused by growth? The answer is no. The cause of growing pains is unknown. Although growing pains occur in children during the growth period, they are not caused by growth. Growing pains do not coincide with the rapid growth period, they do not occur at the site of growth, and they do not affect the child’s growth. Growing pains are benign and usually disappear within 1 or 2 years after the initial attack. What are the characteristics of growing pains? 1. Growing pains occur most often in children between the ages of 2 and 12. During the attack, the baby can move freely, the physical examination is normal, and there is no redness or swelling of the limbs. 2, the pain occurs in the bilateral lower limbs, located in the deep part of the leg; upper limb pain is also present, but only with the lower limb pain. Older children (6-12 years old) may describe limb cramps, worm crawling sensation, etc. 3.Pain is intermittent, with at least a few days in between that are asymptomatic; intervals can be days, weeks, or months, at least once a month, and last at least 3 months. 4, mainly occurs in the evening or at night, the pain varies in severity, when the baby may wake up in pain, pain and crying, usually relieved in the early morning, but some babies only have symptoms during the day. 5, the child’s daily activities are not affected. How to take care of growing pains? The treatment of growing pains is mainly symptomatic, including health education and soothing. 1. Growing pains are benign and usually disappear within 1 or 2 years after the first attack, so parents do not need to worry or be afraid. 2. When babies experience pain, you can divert their attention by letting them listen to music and play with toys. At the same time, massage and different ways of heat therapy (e.g., foot soak in warm water, hot compresses) on the painful areas can achieve emergency pain relief. Muscle stretching exercises can reduce chronic symptoms. If your child has a history of growing pains, consider warm water foot soaks, etc., that night to prevent your child from waking up with pain in his or her sleep when there is increased activity during the day on a particular day. 3. If the above methods are ineffective and sleep is affected, oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also be used to relieve pain. For children who have more than four episodes of pain a week, consider giving acetaminophen or ibuprofen prophylactically at bedtime to prevent your child from waking up with pain during sleep. However, none of these analgesics should be used continuously for more than a few days. Children should receive regular follow-up visits to assess the disease process. Children with increased frequency or severity of pain may require further evaluation. V. What are the conditions that need to be considered for diseases other than growing pains? 1. Systemic symptoms, e.g. unexplained fever, weight loss, decreased activity. 2. Pain that is persistent, worsening, or unilaterally distributed. 3. Daytime pain. 4. Limping or limited activity. 5, Physical examination reveals localized abnormalities: decreased joint mobility, high skin temperature, tenderness, swelling, erythema, lumps. 6.Pain limited to the upper limbs, back or groin. If any of the above conditions are present in your baby, further evaluation is needed, such as laboratory tests and X-ray examinations such as complete and categorical blood counts, C-reactive protein, blood sedimentation, as well as the presence of swollen and painful joints, skin abnormalities, enlarged liver and spleen, etc. Abnormalities in any of these tests can help to rule out the diagnosis of growing pains.