My Baby's Joints Click and Pop
The short answer
Joint clicking and popping in babies is very common and usually harmless. Baby joints are surrounded by developing ligaments and tendons that can create sounds as they move. The most important clicking to report is hip clicking, as it can indicate hip dysplasia. Other joint clicking is almost always benign.
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By Age
What to expect by age
Hip clicks are screened for at every well visit because they can indicate developmental hip dysplasia. Knee, ankle, wrist, and other joint clicks are very common and almost always normal in this age group.
Joints may continue to click as your baby becomes more mobile. As long as there is no pain, swelling, or limitation of movement, clicking is benign. Report any hip clicking to your pediatrician.
Active toddlers may have clicking joints, especially knees and ankles. This is normal. If clicking is accompanied by pain or swelling, evaluation is needed.
Joint clicking remains common and harmless in most children. Very flexible (hypermobile) children may have more frequent clicking. If any joint swells, locks, or is painful, see your pediatrician.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Painless clicking in various joints.
- No swelling or redness around joints.
- Full, pain-free range of motion.
- Clicking is intermittent, not constant.
- Hip clicking, especially in newborns.
- Clicking with loss of range of motion.
- Clicking that seems to be increasing.
- Joint swelling, warmth, or redness.
- Joint locking or inability to move a joint.
- Pain with joint movement.
Sources
Related Resources
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician.
Worrying about your baby means you care. That is a good thing.
Related Physical Concerns
My Baby Has Very Flexible, Bendy Joints
Joint hypermobility (having very flexible joints) is common in babies and children, affecting 10-30% of kids. It often runs in families and is usually benign. Hypermobile babies may walk later and appear clumsier, but most develop normally. However, very significant hypermobility with pain or recurrent dislocations should be evaluated.
Baby Hip Dysplasia (Hip Click)
Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a condition where the hip joint does not form properly, ranging from mild looseness to complete dislocation. It occurs in about 1 in 1,000 births and is more common in firstborns, girls, breech babies, and those with a family history. When caught early, treatment with a soft brace (Pavlik harness) is highly effective.
My Toddler Has Swollen Joints
Swollen joints in toddlers should always be evaluated by a pediatrician. While minor swelling after an injury can be normal, persistent or unexplained joint swelling may indicate juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), infection, or other conditions that require prompt treatment. JIA affects about 1 in 1,000 children and is very treatable when caught early.
My Baby Seems to Use One Side More Than the Other
Babies should use both sides of their body fairly equally during the first 18 months of life. While slight preferences can be normal, a consistent pattern of favoring one side - using one arm much more than the other, crawling with one leg dragging, or turning the head predominantly one way - should always be discussed with your pediatrician. Early identification of asymmetry leads to the best outcomes.
My Baby Only Army Crawls
Army crawling (also called commando crawling) is a completely valid and normal way for babies to move. Many babies army crawl for weeks or even months before transitioning to hands-and-knees crawling, and some skip hands-and-knees crawling entirely. What matters is that your baby is independently mobile and exploring their environment.
One Side of My Baby's Body Moves Differently
Babies should generally use both sides of their body equally. If one side consistently moves differently, is weaker, stiffer, or less coordinated, this warrants evaluation. Asymmetric movement can indicate hemiplegia (cerebral palsy affecting one side), brachial plexus injury, or other neurological conditions that benefit from early therapy.