• breast abscess: an infection of the breast tissue, which can cause redness, swelling, fever and pain and may cause the overlying skin to be warm. Your child may also have a nipple discharge with pus. This type of infection is most common in newborns and adolescent females and requires treatment with antibiotics, warm compresses and sometimes require incision and drainage if the infection is severe or not quickly improving.
• contusion: trauma to the breast, from a fall or being hit with a ball, etc. can cause a tender mass that will go away after several weeks.
• fibroadenomas: these are firm, rubbery, and mobile lumps in the breast.
• fibrocystic changes: commonly seen in adolescents, who have dense breast tissue and lumps that may be tender. The key feature is that the lumps and swelling change each month, usually becoming worse before their periods. You doctor will follow this closely by doing repeat exams every month.
• gynecomastia: some boys developed breast tissue when they are going through puberty. This is normal and the breast tissue will usually go away on its own. Your child just needs lots of reassurance that he is normal, that this is only temporary (90% resolve in three years) and will go away.
• neonatal breast hypertrophy: newborns often have a generalized enlargement of their breasts. This is normal and it is from the effects of hormones that the baby received from his or her mother. Their breasts may even secrete small amounts of milk, and while alarming to most parents, this is nothing to be worried about and the effects will wear off in a few weeks to months.
• obesity: children who are overweight can appear to be developing breasts secondary to the buildup of fat in their upper chests. Treatment is be reducing your child's weight.
• precocious puberty: this is the early starting of puberty (girls under age eight) and in addition to breast development, children will have pubic hair, axillary hair and may begin their growth spurt. Children who are going through early puberty need a thorough evaluation by their doctor to try and find the cause.
• premature thelarche: this is the early appearance of breast development without any of the other signs of puberty (growth spurt, pubic hair, axillary hair, etc.). It is most commonly seen in girls under the age of two years. Children with this condition will have about 2-4 centimeters of firm tissue under one or both nipples. It may be a little tender. In most children, the breast development will stop and may even go away, but in some, it can continue and the child may begin early puberty. Children with premature thelarche need to be seen by their Pediatrician for an evaluation and careful monitoring.
• puberty: the first stage of puberty in girls is breast development, which may begin as a painful swelling under one or both nipples.

Important disclaimer: The information on keepkidshealthy.com is for educational purposes only and should not be considered to be medical advice. It is not meant to replace the advice of the physician who cares for your child. All medical advice and information should be considered to be incomplete without a physical exam, which is not possible without a visit to your doctor.