What causes lymph nodes on the neck of a child to swell occasionally?
Lymph nodes are glands that play an important part in your body’s defense against infection. They produce lymph, which travels throughout your body in the lymph system, and filters impurities from the body. In the neck, there is a chain of lymph nodes on either side of the front of the neck, both sides of the neck, and down each side of the back of the neck. So when a child’s nodes swell, it just means they’re probably fighting a mild infection (e.g. sore throat). However, if they swell to more than 1 centimeter in diameter, you should probably call your doctor.
