“What could cause chest pain in a child?”
My son is 8 years old and he has chest pain. What could cause chest pain in a child?
2 Answers
Hello,
Chest pain in an 8-year-old can have many causes. More info about the character and timing of the pain can allow the doctor to categorize the possibilities. Most are minor causes, but some can be serious. As you might imagine, chest pain of a few days in an active happy playful 8-years-old who is sleeping well is likely to be of no medical consequence and should be expected to go away within a few days. Chest pain, even mild pain, that has been around for weeks or interferes with normal activity and play, or wakes a child up at night needs a doctor's evaluation. A common cause for lingering or recurrent pain is some form of asthma even without wheezing, especially if it is connected to physical exertion. Often, chest pain is actually upper abdominal pain such as heartburn or acid indigestion. Again the pattern and timing of the pain is a big clue. If associated with "wet burps" (stomach acid entering the throat, then being swallowed) can be associated with breast bone pain. Another factor is the family history of chest pain, intestinal ailments, and early unexpected death. Chest pain from a heart origin is very uncommon, but must be considered, especially if the family history of early or sudden death is discovered. A swallowed foreign body even if at age 8 years can lodge in the esophagus (swallowing tube) and lead to chest pain. Chronic chest pain associated with meals might also be eosinophilic esophagitis/gastritis from allergies to certain foods. Again, the family history can be helpful in recognizing these issues. I recommend this weblink from the Academy of Pediatrics for a nice review of chest pain:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Chest%20Pain
Dr. T/Marc Tanenbaum, MD
Chest pain in an 8-year-old can have many causes. More info about the character and timing of the pain can allow the doctor to categorize the possibilities. Most are minor causes, but some can be serious. As you might imagine, chest pain of a few days in an active happy playful 8-years-old who is sleeping well is likely to be of no medical consequence and should be expected to go away within a few days. Chest pain, even mild pain, that has been around for weeks or interferes with normal activity and play, or wakes a child up at night needs a doctor's evaluation. A common cause for lingering or recurrent pain is some form of asthma even without wheezing, especially if it is connected to physical exertion. Often, chest pain is actually upper abdominal pain such as heartburn or acid indigestion. Again the pattern and timing of the pain is a big clue. If associated with "wet burps" (stomach acid entering the throat, then being swallowed) can be associated with breast bone pain. Another factor is the family history of chest pain, intestinal ailments, and early unexpected death. Chest pain from a heart origin is very uncommon, but must be considered, especially if the family history of early or sudden death is discovered. A swallowed foreign body even if at age 8 years can lodge in the esophagus (swallowing tube) and lead to chest pain. Chronic chest pain associated with meals might also be eosinophilic esophagitis/gastritis from allergies to certain foods. Again, the family history can be helpful in recognizing these issues. I recommend this weblink from the Academy of Pediatrics for a nice review of chest pain:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Chest%20Pain
Dr. T/Marc Tanenbaum, MD
Many things!
Mostly, chest pain in children is either muscular or skeletal, but it can signal heart disease, just as in adults, digestive issues like reflux, lung problems like pneumonia or pneumothorax. It is a problem I see often in the office. Get it checked out!
Mostly, chest pain in children is either muscular or skeletal, but it can signal heart disease, just as in adults, digestive issues like reflux, lung problems like pneumonia or pneumothorax. It is a problem I see often in the office. Get it checked out!
