Every parent will have suffered abdominal pains at least once in their lifetime, and the same will go for their children. These pains are extremely common and there is seldom any reason to fret, so if your child complains to you about abdominal pain, don't start worrying.
Ask them to describe the pain and their physical condition so that it can help you asses better the reason behind the pain. Here are the different types of abdominal pain a child may suffer from:
- Generalized pain. This type of pain affects parts that go beyond the stomach (like its surrounding areas) and its causes can be infection due to bacteria or virus, gas or simple indigestion.
- Localized pain. This type of pain occurs in a specific part of the stomach or belly, and can be a result of appendix, stomach ulcers or gallbladder
- Cramps in the abdominal region can be due to bloating of the stomach, followed by diarrhoea. In most cases, it is just a mild problem.
- Pain that comes and goes, just like waves. This pain should not be ignored - there may be a deeper medical complication to it.
Parents whose infants are yet not able to describe their pain should be on the lookout for more fussy behaviour than usual, poor appetite and drawing their legs towards the stomach.
Reasons behind Abdominal Pain
There are several reasons which can lead to abdominal pain in children, which is why it becomes hard to zero in on the actual cause. Most of the times, there is simply nothing seriously wrong and the pain can be treated at home itself. In rare cases, however, it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition, which means your child must be transferred to the medical care of professionals immediately.
The most common reasons behind abdominal pain are - gas, constipation, acid reflux, food allergy, food poisoning, strep throat, stomach flu and depression or anxiety.
Treating Abdominal Pains
Such pains can be cured at home by simple home care remedies. Ask your child to lie down and get some rest. Sometimes the pain goes away after the muscles get some time to relax. If that doesn't help, ask him to relieve himself, because passing the stool helps too. After that, give him clear fluids like water or fruit juice diluted with water.
After that, give him food items like dry toast, fruits and vegetables, high fibre biscuits and rice. Make sure you don't serve them immediately; leave a gap of a couple of hours and make sure you serve them in small quantities.
Avoid giving them coffee, soft drinks, items containing citric acid, fried food, dairy products, spicy food, high fat foods and food items like beans which produce gas.
If despite everything your child still experiences pain, do call your doctor.
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