MANAGING ABDOMINAL PAIN IN CHILDREN

Mummy, my tummy is paining me, Daddy my tummy is paining me. I ve got a sore tummy – This is a common complaint in children. Parents may sometimes not need to be concerned, but they should take such children to the doctor if the stomach pain are severe or doesn’t go away, or if a child also seems generally ill.

Causes of stomach pain or ache

The term ‘stomach ache’ is used to cover any and all types of pain experienced in the abdominal area but anyone who has suffered a stomach ache knows that one stomach ache can be quite different from another.  Not only can a stomach ache occur high up under the ribs or down low in the guts, but it can also be experienced as campy and gurgling or sharp and stitch-like.

Stomach  pain in children is very often caused by excessive gas and  indigestion, which may not be that serious.

A sore tummy might also be a sign of infections like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

Severe stomach pain might be caused by more serious or surgical illnesses like appendicitis or intussusceptions, which is when part of the gut slides into or over itself.

Tummy pain that keeps coming back might be associated with constipation, food intolerances or inflammation in the gut.

Symptoms

The symptoms that come with stomach pain might include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, constipation, bloating and loss of appetite. These also vary depending on the underlying cause of the stomach pain.

A sore tummy is more likely to be a sign of something serious if it wakes the child up, or if the pain is in a specific area of the abdomen, away from your child’s belly button.

Appendicitis, the pain is usually sharp, and the pain often starts in the middle then moves to the lower right section of the abdomen. The child might also have fever, loss of appetite and vomiting.

If the stomach pain comes with loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, the problem could be gastroenteritis or food poisoning.

Cramps and general pain might be associated with excess gas.

Tummy pain that doesn’t go away could be constipation or a urinary tract infection. If the child has a urinary tract infection, she might also have pain when urinating, urinate more than normal, and might have a fever, vomiting and feel irritable.

Tummy pain might also be associated with pneumonia or a viral infection. In this case, your child will probably also have a fever, cough and possibly a sore throat.

In all types of stomach pain, there’s a risk that the child will become dehydrated and should be watched for signs of dehydration like sunken eyes, less urination, lethargy and weight loss,

Treatment

Encourage your child to lie down quietly for 20 minutes. Lying flat on his back with his knees bent is the best position Small to ease a tummy ache. Regular sips of water can help ease a tummy ache – be careful though not to let your child drink too much too fast as this can make the pain worse and can result in vomiting.

Gently massaging your child’s stomach in a slow clockwise direction which follows the direction of the digestive system can help soothe a stomach ache. Sit on the toilet. Encourage your child to sit on the toilet for longer than a minute! Aside from the obvious benefits, the position he maintains while sitting on the toilet is an effective way of dispelling painful gas.

Don’t give your child any medications for  stomach ache without consulting your doctor first. Laxatives can make a stomach ache worse by upsetting the bowels. Painkillers can mask more serious symptoms.

Most stomach aches will resolve themselves naturally and they are not the symptom of anything more serious than a little gas, but there are times when a stomach ache should not be ignored.

In conclusion, parents are to immediately take their children to the hospital if they noticed; the stomach ache is severe in the abdomen; the stomach ache becomes worse with movement, the stomach ache lasts longer than a couple of hours, the stomach ache is regular, occurs frequently; The stomach ache is accompanied by a fever; The stomach ache is accompanied by a rash, or your child is very pale, The stomach ache results in vomiting that contains blood or is green; Your child is drowsy and floppy; Your child’s poo is black, which could indicate the presence of blood; Your child experiences pain when he urinates always check for blood in his wee; Your child is experiencing pain in the groin, scrotum or testicles (boys only)