Abdominal pain

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS?

  • Younger child often holds, or points to tummy, while an older child complains of a tummy ache.

When to call

  • Child is under 2 years old, and is intermittently crying (as in severe pain), pulling legs up toward his stomach, and vomiting
  • Child appears pale and sweaty
  • Child is vomiting blood or bile (yellow or dark green)
  • Child has severe pain
  • Child lying down, and refuses to walk
  • Child walks bent over, holding stomach
  • Child has pain on lower right side of abdomen
  • Pain in scrotum or testicle
  • Blood in the stool
  • Child had recent injury to abdomen
  • Constant pain, lasting more than 2 hours
  • Constant crying, lasting more than 2 hours
  • Cramping pain that comes and goes, and lasts longer than 24 hours

Read on if child has none of above, can start home treatment

What to do

1. Observe child closely

The diagnosis of the cause of the abdominal pain is often based on what other symptoms are present as well as what has been observed to make the pain worse or better.

Non-serious causes can include: constipation, gas pains, indigestion, anxiety (and many others). With these conditions the pain is often improving or disappearing after just a couple of hours. Also there are no other serious symptoms.

Viral infection (of intestines) is a common cause of abdominal pain. It is often the cause when the abdominal pain is accomnpained by fever, vomiting and diarrhea.

Serious causes of abdominal pain are evident by increasing pain over time, worrisome secondary symptoms, unable to tolerate clear liquids, or presence of blood in the diarrhea.

2. Rest

Have child lie down and rest

3. Intake

  • Allow child clear FLUIDS only such as water, ½ strength fruit juices, or flat clear soft drinks.
  • After 2 hours, if child seems to be feeling better, pain is gone, and child is active: may begin food

4. Vomiting

  • Child may start to vomit (be ready)
  • Children sometimes call nausea a “tummy ache”
  • See vomiting and diarrhea instructions

5. Medicines

  • No anti-diarrhea or anti-nausea medications unless specifically directed by a physician. These medicaitons can have serious side effects especially in younger children.

Call if…

  • child has constant pain for more than 2 hours
  • pain comes and goes but lasts for more than 24 hours
  • child seems to be getting worse
  • any questions not answered above