Children’s Bone Infections

Posted on by Fords Foot and Ankle Care

Our feet and ankles are made up of many bones so it’s important to keep them healthy so that we can stay mobile. Children are more prone to develop a bone infection than adults because their bones are still developing. This means that their bones carry more blood as they develop, and therefore are more susceptible to becoming infected by bacteria carried in the blood.

Causes and Symptoms

Bacteria that can cause infection include: Staphylococcus aureus (typically called a staph infection), Group A streptococci (like pneumoniae), Salmonella, and Group B streptococci that can be passed from mothers to babies during childbirth.

Your child may exhibit symptoms such as:

  • Fever
  • Pain
  • Soreness
  • Redness and warmth
  • Fatigue
  • Inability to move affected areas or bear weight

Treating a Bone Infection

Your pediatrician or podiatrist will treat the symptoms after some diagnostic exams. Since bone infections are not obvious from looking at the child’s area of pain, blood tests, imaging tests, and/or a bone sample may be needed to figure out the correct diagnosis.

When a bone infection is determined, your doctor may prescribe the following treatments:

  • Oral or Intravenous Antibiotics (prescribed)
  • Surgical abscess (collection of pus) drainage
  • Surgical removal of dead or infected bone. Then add a bone graft to replace dead or infected bone.

Infections that are left untreated can make for further complications, such as bigger areas of infection on the bone, as well as joint, tissue, and blood infection. If your child is exhibiting symptoms of a bone infection, especially in the feet or ankles (or after an injury), make an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist, Carl Ingrassia, DPM at Fords Foot and Ankle Care. He will use the latest in diagnostic technology to make the proper assessments and offer the best treatment options. Give us a call at (732) 738-4441 to see us at our office in Fords, NJ within Woodbridge Township, NJ. We are happy serve all patients in the surrounding areas of Edison, Perth Amboy, Metuchen, Rahway, and Linden.