If your child complains about pain in the hip or groin or in other parts of the leg such as the thigh or knee, known as referred pain, that worsens with activity and is relieved with rest and if it persists for a week, it could be Perthes disease.

Perthes disease occurs when the bone of the head of the femur (the ball of the ball-and-socket joint of the hip) gradually begins to collapse, which might require surgery if treatment is delayed, said experts at a conference on paediatric bone health, POSUPCON-2023, organised by the department of orthopaedics at Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Science (RMLIMS).