Leg Cramps of Groing Pains in Toddlers

My daughter has only woken up with this once. But I was terrified! She woke up screaming at about three in the morning telling me that her leg hurt. I tried to get her to stand and walk down the hallway to me, but she would not move from her bed. When I went to her room and tried to get her to move her leg or stand she screamed louder. She was shaking all over and then her breathing became strange. I grabbed her jumped in the car and took her to the emergency room. By the time the Doctor came in to look at her she was jumping and running and laughing like nothing had happened. He gave her some motrin and sent us home. He said that it is very common for kids at this age...my daughter was three....to have leg cramps or "growing pains". He said they can be excuriatingly (sp?) painful for our little ones and that we should use motrin to control the pain and try to make them as comfortable as possible until the pain subsides. Hope this helps!

some say that if your dehydrated or low in potassium you will feel them more...also daily stretching (3/4 times a day)of the legs can help too

My 9 yr. old has leg cramps every so often. Motrin helps. Water is what really helps him. When he wakes up with them, we give him a glass of water. So I try to make sure he drinks plenty of water throughout the day if he doesn't he gets leg cramps. At least its not the night terrors. My son had those also.

My son is 16 now, but I remember him waking up at that age vividly! Every night, he would cry with pain. I read up on leg cramps, and found that giving him a glass of milk each night made the cramps disappear completely! Yes, she is in a growing stage, and calcium for her bones and muscles are what she needs. If she doesn't like milk, try yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, anything with calcium. Milk seemed to work the best and the fastest.

Ah yes, the growing pains suck. I remember getting them when I was a kid.

Try upping her potassium intake and see if that helps a little with the cramping.

This website says this: (http://www.nutristrategy.com/nutrition/potassium.htm)

Potassium function:
• Potassium is essential for maintaining proper fluid balance, nerve impulse function, muscle function, cardiac (heart muscle) function.

Potassium sources:
• Potassium is found in bananas, raisins, apricots, oranges, avacadoes, dates, cantaloupe, watermelon, prunes, broccoli, spinach, carrots, potato, sweet potato, winter squash, mushrooms, peas, lentils, dried beans, peanuts, milk, yogurt, lean meats.

At least it might help it to happen less often!

Hi there. I have somethign called congenital bone defect, and I had the worst legs crams all through my child hood. Now your child probaby doesn't have that, but when the bones are gowing and the muscles are stretching, it can cause cramping.
Children may have leg problems for the same reasons as adults or for reasons specific to children. Problems are often caused by overactivity or the rapid growth of bone and muscle that occurs in children.(WebMd.com)Believe it or not, dehydration can cause it too.Most minor leg problems will heal on their own, and home treatment may be all that is needed to relieve symptoms and promote healing.
If your leg problem does not require an evaluation by a health professional, you may be able to use home treatment to help relieve pain, swelling, stiffness or muscle cramps.

Rest and protect a stiff or sore area. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that may be causing your pain or soreness.
Ice will reduce pain and swelling. Apply ice or cold packs immediately to prevent or minimize swelling. Apply the ice or cold pack for 10 to 20 minutes, 3 or more times a day.Gently massage or rub the area to relieve pain and encourage blood flow. Do not rub or massage your calf if swelling is present. If swelling is caused by a blood clot, massage could cause the blood clot to break off and travel through your bloodstream.
Stand and move your legs. Gentle motion may help with cramps that are brought on by exercise.
If you think your child is having growing pains, try warmth and massage to relieve discomfort in the legs. Do not rub or massage a calf that is swollen.(webMd.com)
Oh and when you massage them, try using lavender baby lotion, it helps calm the baby down.

Hi E.,
My son's leg cramps started when he was about 4. I did the same thing, but added the heated rice pack from the massage therapy shops. I think you can get them at the health food shops as well. This works if they indeed are leg cramps only.
He also has to step backwards on a step & stretch his calf muscles, but your daughter is so young, I wouldn't think this would help her-unless of course someone in the family is 6 ft plus. My son is now 13 & has grown over 5'7 so far. His feet have grown to size 11'5 (mens!), so we do believe it was definitely growing pains that he suffered from. At this age now, he doesn't have them nearly as often. Whew I get a break!
K.