Bruising on Child's Back

Updated on January 12, 2009
P.K. asks from Saint Clair, MO
20 answers

I have a 5 year old daughter, and off and on I notice she gets bruises on her back, along her spine. Of course she gets bruises elsewhere, too, she is a very active lil girl. But I've never really thought of anyone getting bruises along their spine before. Has anyone else heard of anything like this, and/or have any idea if anything other than typical childhood play could be the cause of it? I've thought about making an appt for her to see her dr, but I don't want to seem like an over-reactive parent. Your thoughts are much appreciated! Thannks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks so much for all the input, I really appreciate the ease of mind! My daughter will need to see the dr before she starts kindergarten next school year, so if the problem persists, I will have him check into it then. Until then, I will tape cotton balls to her back! HAHA :)

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L.B.

answers from Columbia on

Sorry for the late response, but I know my kids have gotten bruises from the faucet in the tub. They both want the spot right under the faucet and when they stand up too fast or without thinking, they jam their back up against the faucet.
Just trying to help you explore the mystery a little more.
Good Luck!

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K.O.

answers from Wichita on

It is likely nothing, but bruising with no known cause can also signal cancer. Better safe than sorry--see the doctor! Good luck! K.

1 mom found this helpful

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J.B.

answers from Kansas City on

It would never hurt to talk to the doctor. My sister used to ger alot of bruses, also along her spine. She also had alot of bloody noses. She was iron deficient which is boarderline anemic. She just had to take extra iron, this was twenty years ago, though. You could also call your doctors nurse and ask if they think she needs to come in.

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J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

My kids and I bruise easily, but extra vitamin C usually stops it. A dr usually won't tell you that though! Go to GNC and get the 100g tablets that are cherry flavored. Eat a few over the course of the day--not all at once-- and see if it improves over a week or so. Works for us! Good luck!

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A.R.

answers from Kansas City on

Yep, putting in my two cents for the active kid that used to get bruises on her lower back. She just always went fast and that included sitting down. She would get hurt a lot and never knew how they got there.

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M.S.

answers from Lawrence on

I have a very active 3 year old boy who almost always has a bruise or two on his shins and a small round bruise somewhere along his spine. I know his is from all of the climbing, sliding, crawling in and out of tubes, and sliding off things at the park. They alarmed me too when it first started. If it really bugs you get it checked out, otherwise see if you can see a pattern after playing or another activity to explain the bruises.

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S.P.

answers from Lawrence on

I seen and heard this in African American Children. I guess it is fairly common. Have you asked for family doctor just by calling and visiting with a nurse over the phone, sometimes they can get back with you about questions over the phone. I think they have it in the younger years and then as they get older it goes away. Maybe something to do with pigmentation of the skin? St. Lukes has a nurse line you can call and ask questions too.
Hope you find your answers!

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

HI P., Does your daughter go to school with any kind of bars that she could be doing flips on? remember doing that when you were little? We would use the bar that the see-saws were on and turn flips. My friend had this same problem with her little girl a few years ago and was going to talk to the pre-school about it. The kids were all out on the play ground when she went to pick up her daughter and talk to the director, at that time Morgan said "Mom watch this" - got on the monkey bars turned a flip. Messed up the first time wacked herself on the bar and fell flat on her back! Apparently she had been practicing for a while and kept hitting the bar and the ground with her back. I'd check and see if she is playing on any new equipment at school. Good luck!!

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J.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Tunnels and slides can do that, spines are pretty bony!
J.

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A.C.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi P.
I have a 4 almost 5 year old daughter that gets those bruises on her back. I know she gets them from our stairs. She likes to slide down them on her butt so her back is always rubbing as she goes down. I hope this helped!
A.

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S.L.

answers from Kansas City on

I've noticed a lot of kids with bruising on their back. That is, if you are talking about the tiny little bruises that seem to be placed right above the bumps in their spine. I always figured they just rub up against things like for instance they are under a table or coffee table and stand up as they come out and scrape their back just a little bit. The round bones...Ok.. I'm tired and can't think of what to call each one...vertebrae I guess.. They would easily cause little round bruises.

Suzi

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A.F.

answers from Columbia on

P.
I don't know if this will help you or not, but when my oldest daughter was younger (she's 7 now) she would get bruises on her back along her spine from her car seat! It was very upsetting but I just kept trying to add extra padding until we fixed the problem. Good luck! A. F.

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G.M.

answers from St. Louis on

I had the same problem with my son, figured out it was his car seat!!...Now he is in a booster car seat and no more bruising!!!...Hope this helps...............

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B.S.

answers from Joplin on

Yes, I guarantee you she has been playing on a slide, and laying backwards as she goes down. LOL ! I did it as a kid, so did all my siblings as well as my kids. My Dad used to call them our "button bruises" because it reminded him of buttons going down our backs. LOL !
It happens when they reach the bottom of the slide and scrape their backs on the edge of it as they hit the ground.

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R.K.

answers from St. Louis on

I agree with the others. It's probably nothing but a kid being a kid. My very first thought was - is someone hurting your child, but you would be able to tell if they were mild bruises from active play or from someone being abusive. If there is no reason to think someone would harm your child, just ask your doctor about them at her next appointment. You can always take a photo of them when you notice bruises, then show them to her doctor later (because it always seems to happen that when you go to the doctor, the symptoms go away!)

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D.L.

answers from Topeka on

Both of my kids kept them at that age. It is from the climbing things like at school or playgrounds. They don't bend over far enough and they hit their backs over and over. They don't notice it then because they are having fun but later it hurts sometimes.

Good luck,
D.

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L.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Does your daughter bruis easy? Does she have a slide at school or at home that she might be going down on her back? My daughter bruises easy and she gets some bruises around her spine when she goes down bumpy sides on her back because her spine sticks up a little bit. I do not think that it is any thing to worry about.

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R.F.

answers from Kansas City on

P., I would definately recommend making an appointment with your doctor, there are many things that can lead to excessive bruising, but the most common or iron and calcium levels. So they will want to do some blood work, so be prepared. This is very common in senior citizens with poor diets, but it is not unheard of very active little ones.

Don't ever worry about being an "over-reactive" parent, they are your kids and that is your job right :)

Good Luck to you and keep me posted

R. Foster www.abetteru.2freedom.com

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S.D.

answers from Topeka on

I have 2 kids my son gets tiny bruising from rough housing and just being a kid he has 1 that is permanent from his surgery when they placed a needle similar to the epidural my daughter she gets them every so often but for the most part I belive it is the chairs we use to eat on the highchair is solid oak and has a spindled back and the bar stools are the same.They don't my kids and they are so tiny and so far in between that i'm not concerned if they where huge painful to touch etc then yes they would see a Dr right away without a doubt.Just observe your child when they disapper and then reapear what has she been doing at that time.

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L.B.

answers from St. Louis on

totally normal. Lots of kids have them.

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