Chest Wall Pain, Costochondritis (Child)

Home care

Follow the healthcare provider’s instructions for giving medicines to your child. Don’t give any medicines that the provider has not approved.

• Allow your child to rest as needed. Give pain medicine before an activity or before sleeping at night.

• Put a covered heating pad or warm cloth on the area for 20 minutes. Do this 4 times a day. This may ease pain and swelling. You can also alternate the heat with cold. You can make a cold pack by wrapping a bag of chipped ice or frozen vegetables in a thin towel.

• Have your child hold a pillow against their chest to ease pain when coughing.

• Talk with your child about how they are feeling and what helps ease pain. Talk with your child’s provider if prescribed medicines don’t relieve the pain.

• Ask the provider about exercises to stretch the chest muscles and ease pain. Exercises should not be done if they cause your child any pain.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s healthcare provider, or as advised.

Special note to parents

Your child should not play sports until their healthcare provider says it’s OK.

When to get medical advice

Call your child’s healthcare provider right away if any of these occur:

• Fever (see Fever and children below)

• Pain doesn’t get better or gets worse even with medicine

• Chest pain does not get better in 7 days

Call 911

This is the fastest and safest way to get to the emergency department. The paramedics can also start treatment on the way to the hospital.

Call 911, or get medical care right away if any of these occur:

• Trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or fast breathing

• Change in the type of pain or pain gets worse

• Palpitations or feeling that your child's heart is racing or beating fast

• Your child acts very ill, or is too weak to stand

Fever and children

Use a digital thermometer to check your child’s temperature. Don’t use a mercury thermometer. There are different kinds and uses of digital thermometers. They include:

• Rectal. For children younger than 3 years, a rectal temperature is the most accurate.

• Forehead (temporal). This works for children age 3 months and older. If a child under 3 months old has signs of illness, this can be used for a first pass. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Ear (tympanic). Ear temperatures are accurate after 6 months of age, but not before.

• Armpit (axillary). This is the least reliable but may be used for a first pass to check a child of any age with signs of illness. The provider may want to confirm with a rectal temperature.

• Mouth (oral). Don’t use a thermometer in your child’s mouth until they are at least 4 years old.

Use the rectal thermometer with care. Follow the product maker’s directions for correct use. Insert it gently. Label it and make sure it’s not used in the mouth. It may pass on germs from the stool. If you don’t feel OK using a rectal thermometer, ask the healthcare provider what type to use instead. When you talk with any healthcare provider about your child’s fever, tell them which type you used.

Below are guidelines to know if your young child has a fever. Your child’s healthcare provider may give you different numbers for your child. Follow your provider’s specific instructions.

Fever readings for a baby under 3 months old:

• First, ask your child’s healthcare provider how you should take the temperature.

• Rectal or forehead: 100.4°F (38°C) or higher

• Armpit: 99°F (37.2°C) or higher

Fever readings for a child age 3 months to 36 months (3 years):

• Rectal, forehead, or ear: 102°F (38.9°C) or higher

• Armpit: 101°F (38.3°C) or higher

Call the healthcare provider in these cases:

• Repeated temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher in a child of any age

• Fever of 100.4° F (38° C) or higher in baby younger than 3 months

• Fever that lasts more than 24 hours in a child under age 2

• Fever that lasts for 3 days in a child age 2 or older