JAMA Pediatrics - Chest P...

Parents often worry when their child has any pain in their chest.

While chest pain in adults is frequently caused by serious cardiovascular problems, chest pain in children is often innocent. Research shows less than 1% of chest pain in children stems from the heart itself.

For children with chest pain, pediatric clinicians will take a full history, collect vital signs, and perform a physical examination. Your child may need testing, including a chest radiograph to see inside the chest and an electrocardiogram to look at the heart rhythm. Blood work may also be needed.

Common causes for a child’s chest pain that does not stem from the heart can be split into several groups: (1) musculoskeletal, relating to the muscles, bones, and joints (eg, slipping rib syndrome and chest wall inflammation); (2) respiratory, relating to the airways and lungs (eg, asthma and pneumonia); (3) gastrointestinal, relating to the esophagus, stomach, and intestines (eg, acid reflux); (4) psychogenic, relating to the mind (eg, anxiety and panic attacks); and (5) idiopathic, relating to an unknown cause. While many of these causes of chest pain outside of the heart are not dangerous, they may still need evaluation and treatment by your child’s health care professional or other specialists.