Neck pain in young children can be caused by neck sprains, stiff necks, meningitis, torticollis, or sleeping in an uncomfortable position. While most cases are not serious and can be treated with warm compresses, ibuprofen, and neck massages, meningitis requires immediate medical attention. Sleeping in an uncomfortable position can also cause neck pain, which typically fades by the end of the day.
There are a handful of medical issues that can cause neck pain in young children. The most common of these include neck sprains, stiff necks and meningitis. As with adults, sleeping in an uncomfortable position can also cause neck pain the next morning. While neck pain typically goes away on its own, it can be a sign of a bigger problem when paired with other symptoms.
Young children are naturally active and generally fearless. This can lead to accidental falls which can result in a neck sprain. In most cases, this type of neck pain in young children is no cause for alarm. The discomfort can be relieved with warm compresses, baby or toddler ibuprofen as recommended by the child’s pediatrician, and neck massages. Neck sprains usually heal on their own within two to three weeks, but if your child is in a lot of pain, a visit to the doctor may be necessary.
Torticollis, a contraction of the neck muscles on one side of the head, can also cause pain. Although many assume this medical problem only applies to babies, known as congenital torticollis, it can also develop during the early childhood years. This most commonly occurs after some type of neck injury or after sleeping in an uncomfortable position on a routine basis, such as in a car seat. In some cases, it can even be a side effect of a bad cold. Neck pain that can accompany torticollis can be treated in the same way as a neck sprain, while neck muscle contraction is typically treated with stretching exercises and occasionally physical therapy or medication.
Although neck pain in children by itself is usually not serious, when associated with high fever, fatigue or sensitivity to light, it is one of the main symptoms of meningitis. This disease is the result of a bacterial or viral infection in the lining and fluid surrounding the brain. If a child is experiencing neck pain, especially if he’s not fully willing to look down, he should be taken to the emergency room as quickly as possible. As with most diseases, meningitis is best treated early and aggressively. While viral meningitis can, in many cases, be treated with plenty of rest, fluids, and pain relievers to relieve symptoms, bacterial meningitis typically requires antibiotics and often corticosteroids to reduce inflammation in the lining of the brain.
A much less serious cause of neck pain in young children may be simply sleeping in a fun position. Young children often go to exhaustion and can fall asleep whichever way they first lay down. This can cause a child to wake up with a stiff neck and some amount of neck pain. If this is the case, there’s usually no reason to worry; as when adults sleep in an uncomfortable position, the feeling of stiffness or pain often fades by the end of the day.
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