Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is a common complaint in children, and it can be acute (sudden onset, short term), or chronic (long term). You encourage the child to drink plenty of clear fluids but should not force him/her to eat. You should call your physician if pain lasts longer than three hours and is not improving or if you suspect that he may have appendicitis.
The most common factors that can help determine the cause of abdominal pain are:
· Is the pain associated with diarrhea, constipation, fever, and weight loss?
· The exact location and duration of the pain is also helpful.
· What makes it better (especially if the child has been given over the counter medications) and what makes it worse?
Invasive and non-invasive tests for children with abdominal pain may include plain x-ray, KUB (kidney, ureter, and bladder x rays.), abdominal/pelvic ultrasound or CT scan, stool cultures (for parasites and bacteria), and stool test.
Possible Causes of Abdominal Pain:
Gastroenteritis: pain usually accompanied by diarrhea and or vomiting.
Appendicitis: continuous and growing abdominal pain that moves to the lower right side and is followed by vomiting.
Constipation: cramping lower abdominal pain, usually in a child with a history of having few and far between bowel movements
Intestinal obstruction: a blockage of the intestines can cause severe pain and vomiting. Your child's vomiting may be bilious (dark green or yellow) and he will probably not be having bowel movements or passing gas. This is a medical emergency.
Reflux: children with reflux may have a sour taste in their mouth and a burning substernal chest pain. The pain may be worse at night and after meals.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Children with IBS have cramp-like abdominal pain, bloating and a feeling of 'gassiness.' and bowel movements that alternate between normal, constipation and diarrhea.
Inguinal hernia: severe pain accompanied by a bulging in your child's groin or scrotum.
Urinary tract infection: lower abdominal pain with fever and pain with urination.
Food allergy (lactose intolerance): usually chronic pain that follows eating or drinking certain foods and is accompanied by bloating, gas and diarrhea.
Ulcers: burning epigastria pain, usually worse before meals, at night and in the early morning. Children with ulcers usually also have vomiting and a family history of ulcers. They may also have blood in their stool. The pain may be relieved by antacids and by eating.
Celiac disease: with gas, chronic diarrhea, bloating, poor weight gain and recurrent abdominal pain
Inflammatory bowel disease: Children with ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease usually have bloody diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, obstruction (a blockage of the intestine), malabsorption, and weight loss or poor weight gain.
Among other possible casue of abdominal pain isHepatitis: inflammation in the liver usually caused by viruses (Hepatitis A, B, and C. non-A Non-B and E). Hepatitis symptoms include fatigue, pain in the right upper side of the abdomen, vomiting and jaundice. Low lobar pnemonia may also cause abdominla pain.
children's health