The main symptom is pain in the hip. In some children, the hip pain gets worse very quickly and they see a doctor within 1 to 3 days. In other children, the hip pain gets worse slowly. At first, the hip pain may be so mild that they don't know there is something wrong.

When the pain gets bad enough, children with transient synovitis have a hard time walking. If your child has transient synovitis of the hip, he or she will have pain when the hip is moved, such as when moving his or her leg. Your child may walk with a limp. Because of the pain, your child may have trouble standing or walking. Some children may have pain of the inner thigh or knee area, instead of around the hip. Many children with this condition want to lie still on their back with the knee on the side that hurts bent and turned out and their foot pointed away from their body. This position may lessen the pain.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will look at your child's hip to find out what kind of movement makes the pain worse. Your doctor may order blood tests and x-rays. These tests will help your doctor make sure that the cause of hip pain isn't something more serious than hip synovitis.