Lower Extremity Bruise (Child)

Home care

Follow these guidelines when caring for your child at home:

• Your child’s doctor may prescribe medicines for pain and inflammation. Follow all instructions for giving these to your child.

• Have your child rest the leg. You may need to restrict your child's activities for a few days.

• Elevate your child's leg to help ease swelling. 

  • For children 1 year and older: When sitting or lying down, have your child elevate the leg above the level of their heart as often as possible. Pillows can be used to elevate their bruised leg. 

  • For babies younger than 12 months: A baby who is awake and observed can be placed on their noninjured side with the bruised leg elevated. If your baby falls asleep, move them to a flat, firm surface. Never use pillows for sleep or put your baby to sleep on their stomach or side. Babies younger than 12 months should sleep on a flat surface on their back. Don't use car seats, strollers, swings, baby carriers, or baby slings for sleep. If your baby falls asleep in one of these, move them to a flat, firm surface as soon as you can.

• Use cold to help reduce swelling and pain. For babies and toddlers, wet a clean cloth with cold water, then wring it out. For older children, use a cold pack or a plastic bag of ice cubes wrapped in a thin, dry cloth. Apply the cold source to the bruised area for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat this a few times a day while your child is awake. Continue for 1 or 2 days, or as instructed.

• When the swelling has gone away, start using warm compresses. This is a clean cloth that’s damp with warm water. Apply this to the area for 10 minutes, several times a day.

• If your child was given a wrap, follow instructions for how to use it and when to remove it.

• Do not try to drain your child's bruise with a needle.

• Don't massage the bruised spot, as this can break more blood vessels under the skin. This will make the bruised area larger.

• Follow any other instructions you were given.

• Keep in mind that bruising may take several weeks to go away.

• If you are unaware of known trauma or injury but suspect the bruising may be a result of violence or bullying, gently encourage your child to share with you the reasons for the bruising.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your child’s doctor as advised. Ask your child's doctor if your child needs dietary supplements to meet their nutrition requirements for vitamins K and C.

Special note to parents

Health care providers are trained to see injuries such as this in young children as a sign of possible abuse. You may be asked questions about how your child was injured. Health care providers are required by law to ask you these questions. This is done to protect your child. Please try to be patient.

When to get medical advice

Contact your doctor immediately if:

• Your child's bruised leg becomes swollen, tight, or tender. The overlying skin is often pink.

• Pain is out of proportion to the injury and is not relieved by rest or anti-inflammatory medicine.

Contact your child's doctor right away if:

• Bruising gets worse.

• Pain or swelling doesn't get better or gets worse.

• The injured leg has numbness or tingling.

• The foot on the injured leg feels cold or looks very pale.

• Your child bruises easily and has frequent episodes of nosebleeds or bleeding gums.

• A bruise seems larger than you’d expect for the injury.

• Bruising is present without any history of trauma or injury.

• There is pain or a lump under the bruised skin.