Hi There My 5 Year Old Daughter Keeps Getting Pains

Posted on Sun, 10 Feb 2019

Question: Hi there

My 5 year old daughter keeps getting pains or pins and needles in her right foot - specifically her toes each time she's reported it.

I started to keep a record of it as it started to happen frequently.

I've read online that it's kids at 5 shouldn't be having pins and needles.
We have an appointment in 3 weeks to see a neurologist - the pediatrician recommended us to take her to check her nerves?

What could cause this? She is very flexible and sits in the w-position quite alot. Could this be related?

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18/ right foot toes ouch again (morning), then cried about it happening again at 7pm. right foot again.
16/1 right foot hurts again
12/1 right foot - all toes hurt. Whilst on the potty. Could this be related? Seating position. Has been on potty 10 minutes.
8/1 right foot pins and needles
26/12 foot hurts again. seems to be the left toes again
25/12 3 days of ulcers on her tongue
22/12 complained of pins and needles in hand last night
19/12 pins and needles in her foot when she woke up, crying upset because it hurts. Not the first time. maybe the 3rd time in the last few weeks, two or three times complained about it waking up in the morning, and once when we were out for lunch sitting to eat.Specifically in her toes I think, and I think the left side

Answered by Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Seems like peripheral neuropathy

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for using the Ask a Doctor service.

I have gone carefully through your query and understand your concerns. Your symptoms seem consistent with peripheral neuropathy. I would need to ask you if you are a diabetic. Deficiency of Vitamin B12 could also give rise to such a presentation. Taking methylcobalamine (Vitamin B12) 750 mcg supplement per day for at least a couple of weeks should help in improving the situation.

You can also get a NCV (nerve conduction velocity) done on both lower limbs (all four limbs would be even better) to rule out other possible causes. If that does not help a central cause (brain related) would need to be investigated using a CT Scan or MRI of brain.

The mentioned incidents are possibly related.

Let me know if I could help further.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng

Follow up: Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (32 minutes later)

Can a 5 year old have diabetes? She eats well, and she is very active.
Can peripheral neuropathy go away as she grows older?
Will try to find b12 vitamins for my daughter.

Answered by Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (34 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The treatment and resolution would depend upon the cause

Detailed Answer:
Although a 5 year can be diabetic, but you need not worry about that.
The cause of the peripheral neuropathy is important. It needs to be identified. The answer would vary with the cause. Treatment of the cause should resolve the problems soon.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (10 hours later)

Thanks Doctor - we have an appointment now with a neurologist in 4 days, because the pain in the toes is happening almost twice a day.

I don't have diabetes, but my grandmother on my fathers side did have diabetes... not sure if it's hereditary.

She didn't have it all day yesterday, but she had a busy day of walking around more... so I'm hoping it could just be that she had been on school holidays, and her being more sedentary (sitting a lot more) may be the reason possibly.

Keeping an eye on her to figure it out more.

Answered by Dr. Prof. Kunal Saha (30 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Let us hope for the best

Detailed Answer:
Feel free to write back in case of any further queries.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D