Abdominal pain in children
and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologistMartina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day.She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.
What is a stomach ache?
Children often have stomach aches, for example because they ate too much, too fat or too sweet, or because they are constipated. Abdominal pain due to flatulence and constipation can be prevented by allowing babies to burrow more often and older children to eat small portions of high-fiber food and non-carbonated drinks.
Sometimes abdominal pain is also a sign of serious illness such as appendicitis or pelvic inflammation.
However, abdominal pain in children is not always of organic origin, as is the case with an intestinal infection, flatulence, overeating, etc. They often have psychological causes. For example, fears and stress can manifest themselves in the form of abdominal pain, especially in older children.
What should I watch out for if I have a stomach ache?
A little parental attention often helps: cuddling, a gentle stomach massage or a cup of fennel tea. Even with natural remedies, you should speak to your doctor beforehand, as not every child reacts in the same way. However, you should definitely take your child to the doctor in the following cases of abdominal pain:
- acute, severe abdominal pain
- severely tense abdominal wall
- Other symptoms such as fever, chills, diarrhea or vomiting occur
- Abdominal pain that has existed for a long time and has no apparent cause
You should always take acute pain seriously. This is especially true if after an hour they continue to persist, are colicky, or the child does not want to move, pulls their legs to their body and maybe even has a fever. Then you should see a doctor! It could be that the abdominal pain is due to a disease that requires medical treatment (possibly even an operation).
The pediatrician will first get an accurate picture of the pain to determine the cause. It is important, for example, whether it is acute (new) or chronic (long-standing) abdominal pain. The exact part of the body where the pain occurs (pain localization), the nature of the pain (pulling, stabbing, blunt), the temporal connection of the pain and accompanying symptoms also provide clues as to the possible cause.
Localization of pain
Small children in particular, but also schoolchildren, often report pain in the abdomen and in the umbilical region. It can be functional or psychological abdominal pain. In general, the further the abdominal pain is from the navel, the more often it is organically caused abdominal pain.
Note that small children in particular are not yet able to correctly locate pain. Pain in areas distant from the abdomen (such as ear and sore throat) are sometimes referred to as "abdominal pain". In addition, abdominal pain can actually radiate, in the case of biliary colic, for example, it does so in the right shoulder.
Pain character
Pain can be colic-like, that is, severe and at short intervals. They can also last for several hours (persistent pain). The character of the pain can be stinging, piercing or dull, for example. How the pain feels can usually only be described by schoolchildren.
Another important aspect for the diagnosis is the pain intensity, i.e. how severe the pain is. A face contorted with pain, pale skin color, and fear should always be interpreted as indicating a serious cause.
The temporal connection of the pain
The temporal relationship of the pain also provides information on the causes:
- If the stomach pain occurs while breathing, this can be an indication of pneumonia.
- A urinary tract infection could be present if the pain is felt when urinating.
- Repeated abdominal pain associated with eating may result in a stomach ulcer or reflux disease, in which the acidic stomach contents flow back into the esophagus. Food intolerance is also an option.
- If you have abdominal pain before or after a bowel movement, constipation or intestinal inflammation are possible.
Concomitant symptoms
If symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and / or burning sensation when urinating occur in addition to the abdominal pain, this can help to find the cause. For example, acute inflammatory diseases of the abdominal cavity are often accompanied by a high fever. Also inform the doctor about previous operations on the child or menstruation in girls.
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