oversensitive!?

My daughter is 10 and for the past few years she has complained on and off about her fingers hurting. In all honesty I put it down to her being fussy because she did not wan't to put her shoes and socks on etc.....but over the last 2 months it has got worse, so I asked her to explain to me what was happening and she says when she touches certain things such as wool then her fingertips hurt and it goes through her. It has gotten to the point where I have to put her socks on for her and tie her laces and the laces go through her too! Ofcourse I am not complaining about doing this, but what is causing this ?
I would like to add my 14 year old son has a condition called dyspraxia and he too can be oversensitive with ceratin materials and food.My daughter does not show ANY symptons of dyspraxia at all apart from the sensitivity.
Thanks for any info and advice on what to do.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Are there any complications during your pregnancy or your daughter's birth?

Was your daughter hospitalized for any illness ( infectious, surgical )?

Is your daughter's  mental, social and gross motor skills at par with children her age?

Are there other associated problems like weakness, numbness, hearing defects, changes in taste sensation, difficulty reading,speech defects?

A history of dyspraxia in the family and your child's oversensitivity to touch may point to what is termed sensory integration dysfunction. There seems to be no anatomical problem only that the brain interprets and processes the stimuli ( hearing, touch, visual ,taste ) in an unusual manner.

This condition may be a diagnosis by itself however it may herald other conditions like autism,tourette's syndrome,multiple sclerosis and other developmental delays.

Have you consulted with a developmental pediatrician or a pediatric neurologist ?

I suggest you seek consult with one.She may be able to shed some light.

All the best.Keep us posted for any progress. Just continue to reassure your children.

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

I would like to know if she has pain in the fingers when she holds a pencil,  holds a glass, etc. It's alright when you put her sock on for her, but what happens when she goes to school ?

She could be having a neuropathy. I would recommend a pediatric neurologist's consultation.

Regards