Anybody's 2 1/2 y.o. complain of back pain?

One of my DD's started saying 'my back hurts' a couple of months ago. It was only once every couple of weeks at first, but has progressively gotten more frequent. Up until about a week ago she only said it when she was sitting in her booster seat at the table. Since then she has complained about it twice when playing/dancing around.

I Googled 'toddler back pain' and found another forum where parents were discussing it. They all mentioned that their toddler's said it when sitting in their carseat and when lying down. I asked if anybody with this concern was using the Britax Marathon because one mom on that forum thought there might be a link. We do have that very carseat, but my DD had never complained about it in the carseat...until today, of course. As soon as she sat down in her carseat she said, 'mommy, my hiney hurts'. I took her to the doctor and he ordered bloodwork. We don't have the results yet, but I was just wondering if anybody else is going/has been through this. TIA. Stephanie

 

:welcome:

Hi, Steph! Good to see you. Sorry, no back pain info. for you.

Hope all your girls are doing well.

 

Sorry...just bumping this back to the top in hopes of getting some sort of response that reassures me that this is just a normal part of a toddler's development. It's a daily complaint that seems very sincere, so I am starting to get really worried about her. Thanks for any input. Stephanie

 

I'd try switching her carseat. I know they are expensive, but it is an easy enough thing to try. Could you swap with a friend?

 

good idea about changing out the seat. That might be the easiest way to check that variable! I hope the drs appt reveals positive results!

another thought, is she still RF? I'm not encouraging you to FF her, but I wonder if the reclined RF angle might have something to do with it. ALso, check the carseat message board site... I can't remember it or find it, but I'm certain someone on here will know... I bet you'd be able to get a ton of info from ladies there.

 

Do you think she really has backache (not saying she doesn't just another point of view), few months ago my DH was having back problems and of course complained about it ALL the time. Then one of the girls started to complain about her back, and turns out she was just copying Daddy. Not saying this is the case, but just another idea.

Hope the blood work comes back ok.

 

Great ideas to swap carseats with a friend and checking the carseat message board. I will try both. She is FF now, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try changing the recline position to see if that makes a difference.

j&jtwins: I orginally thought it may be something she heard and was repeating (she's quite the parrot!), but it has gotten to the point where she will stop when running around playing and come to me and tell me that it hurts or ask me to rub it. My gut tells me that it is a legitimate complaint.

Thanks again for the input/ideas! Stephanie

 

QUOTE(steph-andy @ Nov 20 2008, 01:09 PM) [snapback]1079569[/snapback]
Great ideas to swap carseats with a friend and checking the carseat message board. I will try both. She is FF now, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try changing the recline position to see if that makes a difference.

j&jtwins: I orginally thought it may be something she heard and was repeating (she's quite the parrot!), but it has gotten to the point where she will stop when running around playing and come to me and tell me that it hurts or ask me to rub it. My gut tells me that it is a legitimate complaint.

Thanks again for the input/ideas! Stephanie


Steph, I don't think you can safely, legally do anything about the recline. I think someone was just suggeesting that if your child was still rear-facing that the RF angle might be contributing, so turning them FF would eliminate any angle. You can't have them forward and angled.

www.car-safety.org

Also, call your local Fire Department...they are certified car seat installers around here and can give you some live feedback if the website isn't clear enough for you.

Keep us posted.

 

Actually the first thing that popped into my head was a urinary tract or kidney issue. I had chronic urinary tract infections as a little kid, and I recall back pain being a symptom. It's so difficult to diagnose something like that in a toddler because symptoms all present differently, and because they don't have the experience/language skills yet to completely and accurately describe what they're feeling. I think you did the right thing taking her to the doctor just to check it out.

I recall my mom telling me when I was little that I kept complaining about my throat hurting. She went through all the sore throat treatments she could think of and kept asking me to describe what I was feeling. I didn't know how to describe it any better than that my throat hurt. After hours of this, she finally had a lightbulb go off and guessed correctly that I actually had heartburn - a swig of soda water and I was cured! Heartburn is definitely different than your throat hurting, but it was the best way I knew how to describe it. So when she says back pain, maybe what she's actually feeling is something different than what we might describe as back pain, it's just the best way she knows how to say it.

No need to be alarmed by the way - if this is what it is, it's very common and should be easily treatable with antibiotics. In any case, you did the right thing taking her to the doctor to find out if it is something like this that they can easily diagnose and treat.

 

How frightening ... I hope you find an answer soon! Keep us posted! One day we may well have the same issue and I would love to hear what you find out!

 

QUOTE(SweetpeaG @ Nov 20 2008, 10:28 PM) [snapback]1079691[/snapback]
Steph, I don't think you can safely, legally do anything about the recline. I think someone was just suggeesting that if your child was still rear-facing that the RF angle might be contributing, so turning them FF would eliminate any angle. You can't have them forward and angled.

www.car-safety.org

Also, call your local Fire Department...they are certified car seat installers around here and can give you some live feedback if the website isn't clear enough for you.

Keep us posted.



Thanks! I didn't even think about the safety aspect! I guess I just figured they gave it a knob to make it recline, why not use it!

I appreciate the UTI tip also. The dr. did order a urine sample too, but it will be a miracle to get that out of her. They gave me a cup to bring home, but they idea of a cup sitting at the bottom of her potty has her completely freaked...just sitting on the potty is enough of a battle!

 

QUOTE(steph-andy @ Nov 20 2008, 04:50 PM) [snapback]1079837[/snapback]
Thanks! I didn't even think about the safety aspect! I guess I just figured they gave it a knob to make it recline, why not use it!

I appreciate the UTI tip also. The dr. did order a urine sample too, but it will be a miracle to get that out of her. They gave me a cup to bring home, but they idea of a cup sitting at the bottom of her potty has her completely freaked...just sitting on the potty is enough of a battle!


Worse case scenario, can you sanitize the potty bowl (assuming she's using a kid potty and not the big toilet) and then just dump the urine into the sample container? It's got to be better than getting nothing at all. I imagine using some rubbing alcohol to clean the potty bowl will clean it sufficiently and evaporate quickly enough to avoid leaving any cleaning solution residue on it and contaminating your sample.

It's been weeks since you posted...did all come out okay? Any clues yet?

 

Does she spend a lot of time in her carseat?

 

One of my boys who is 2.5yrs complains of lower back pain. So we had an x-ray done since back problems run in dh family. It was clear, so I took him to a chiropractor who checked him out and he has tightness on his left side (whereas his twin is fine!) and he is adjusted every 3 weeks. I am to massage it, when he stays still!!! he has not complained of pain for a while now, but at times I see him holding his back. He complained mostly when lifting his legs up on the change table.

Jen FB

 

QUOTE(SweetpeaG @ Dec 4 2008, 11:02 PM) [snapback]1097888[/snapback]
Worse case scenario, can you sanitize the potty bowl (assuming she's using a kid potty and not the big toilet) and then just dump the urine into the sample container? It's got to be better than getting nothing at all. I imagine using some rubbing alcohol to clean the potty bowl will clean it sufficiently and evaporate quickly enough to avoid leaving any cleaning solution residue on it and contaminating your sample.

It's been weeks since you posted...did all come out okay? Any clues yet?



Lindsey's blood work came back normal (of course, Allison is anemic and taking an iron supplement now...go figure...he had her blood work checked just to be thorough with both of the girls!) We were advised to collect their urine samples just exactly how you mentioned above, but they both came back with bacteria in them. It seemed like they would be clean enough...poop has never come anywhere near the inside of those potty seats! Anyhow, they had us give new samples for both of them using the bags that go inside the diapers...total nightmare...I ended up having to hold her down by myself while I pried her legs open to put this bag in a very specific place while she screamed as if someone had just drove a knife through her back! And it was pretty much the same scenario to get it off! BUT, she did get a very good sample right in the bag! We dropped that off on Sat., so I would think we would know something by the end of the week.

 

QUOTE(Callen @ Dec 8 2008, 01:36 AM) [snapback]1101351[/snapback]
Does she spend a lot of time in her carseat?


No, she doesn't spend too much time in her carseat, and has only complained of it hurting the one time while in it. I had only asked about the carseat because another mom whose toddler was complaining of back pain was using that seat and she seemed to think there was a link...and it happens to be the seat that we have too.

 

Jen FB:

How long had he been seeing the chiropractor before things seemed to improve?

 

I have 3 year olds who have been in the Marathon for about 6 months now. They have never complained.

 

I have been following a bit, but don't really have anything for you! I think the other gals have really done some good brain storming with you. I like that you are following your gut on this!! GO MOMMY!!!

:hug:

 

A couple of sessions and he is much better. The chiropractor thinks maybe he strained something at gymnastics or just horsing around. For him it seems to be muscular, he doesn't complain anymore, but as I said, I see him holding his back, so I think it still bothers him. I don't use the car seats you mention, it never occured to me that the car seats would be implicated.

I hope you figure out what is wrong.

Jen FB

 

My son was complaining about sitting in his booster seat at the table and saying his bum hurt in the car seat (Britax Marathon). We figured out that both only bother him if his feet are dangling. So in the car he crosses his feet up on the seat and we switched his chair at the table so he can rest his feet there as well. Haven't heard any complaints since.

I hope you find a solution and she isn't hurting anymore. Good Luck.

 

QUOTE(Lvdargan @ Dec 9 2008, 08:57 PM) [snapback]1104259[/snapback]
My son was complaining about sitting in his booster seat at the table and saying his bum hurt in the car seat (Britax Marathon). We figured out that both only bother him if his feet are dangling. So in the car he crosses his feet up on the seat and we switched his chair at the table so he can rest his feet there as well. Haven't heard any complaints since.

I hope you find a solution and she isn't hurting anymore. Good Luck.

Another great thought! She does like to push herself away from the table so she can get her legs up and feet onto the seat of the chair! Of course, not putting two & two together, I usually push her back up to the table and tell her to stop. That would be great if that is all that it is wrong. I know they both put their feet up on the handle of the seat in front of them in the car , so maybe that is why she doesn't complain too much in her carseat. Thanks again for the input. Stephanie

 

QUOTE(Lvdargan @ Dec 9 2008, 02:57 PM) [snapback]1104259[/snapback]
My son was complaining about sitting in his booster seat at the table and saying his bum hurt in the car seat (Britax Marathon). We figured out that both only bother him if his feet are dangling. So in the car he crosses his feet up on the seat and we switched his chair at the table so he can rest his feet there as well. Haven't heard any complaints since.

I hope you find a solution and she isn't hurting anymore. Good Luck.

They sell a foot rest of sorts for car seats *I think* in the One Step Ahead catalog!

 

When my oldest was around that age she started complaining of back pain. I took her to the doctor and after several testes they did an x-ray and several other scans.
We found out she has been having problems pooping and was backing up so much it as affecting her back. Her doctor started her in Miralax asap and after a few weeks she was back to normal the back pain was gone.