My child complains of chest pain. What is wrong ?

It is good to know that heart attack is unlikely at this age. A child may complain of chest pain due to some other possible causes.  Some of the common reasons a child will complain of chest pain include the following :

• Injury : The bones and muscles in a child’s chest may hurt because the child fell or was hit. His  symptoms may worsen at night, early in the morning and after running or crying.
• Pneumonia : If the chest pain is accompanied by persistent cough, your toddler may have  pneumonia. Other symptoms of pneumonia include a cold that seems to be getting worse, fast labored breathing and perhaps wheezing, fever, chills, decreased appetite, stomach pain, vomiting, fussiness and headache.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disorder : This condition can cause  children to complain about pain in the chest after eating. This may be due to  regurgitated stomach acid and more likely to occur when the child’s been lying down. The child may also experience sore throat, a sour taste in her mouth or vomiting.
• Swallowing a foreign object : If your child is having trouble breathing, call 911. If your child swallows something that he should not like a pen or coin, he may feel chest pain from irritation in his  esophagus as it goes down. He may also have coughing , wheezing and drooling.

When should i call my doctor ?

If your child is struggling to breathe, call 911. If the child seems  okay except chest pain and it goes away, it probably nothing to worry about. If  it continues for say more than an hour or returns again and again, check in with your doctor.

You also want to talk to your doctor if you think your child has pneumonia, asthma or gastroesophageal reflux disorder. You should also call your doctor immediately if you think your child has swallowed an object.