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Common Causes of Stomachaches in Children
Adults are not the only ones that suffer from stomachaches. Children, including infants, also suffer from pain and discomfort in the abdominal area from time to time. The causes of stomachaches, like the ones in adults, also vary. However, stomachaches in children, who don’t have the same tolerance for pain as adults do, should be treated with more care and understanding.
If you have a newborn baby, then you know what it’s like to deal with the suffering that stomachaches bring. Babies who experience stomachaches are cranky or crying all the time. They scream and kick their legs, sometimes drawing them up close to their stomach.
The common causes of stomachaches in babies include gas and indigestion. Try to hold and cuddle your baby, and gently tap his or her back to let him or her burp and release gas. Sometimes, a baby’s milk can cause him or her indigestion, so report your baby’s condition immediately. You might have to change milks or maintain a specialized diet (if you prefer to breastfeeding) to cure your baby from colic.
There have been studies that show how stress may be a factor in stomachaches in children. Reportedly, children suffer from stomachaches more frequently when they are in school, not during vacation or weekends. This suggests that homework, exams, pop quizzes, projects, and other schoolwork develop stress in children, and this stress manifests itself through several symptoms – and one of which is stomachache.
Children who were subjects of the studied didn’t seem sick or ill enough to be suffering from a more serious medical condition; the stomachaches they had pointed to stress as the sole root of the problem.
Stomachaches are commonly caused by overeating or eating foods that are not compatible with the person’s digestive system. If your children are already going to school, make sure that he or she gets the proper nutrition by making him or her healthy snacks. Include fruits and vegetables into his or her diet, as well as water and fluids. Monitor your children’s weight to counter obesity at the onset. If your children have food allergies, be extra careful with their food choices. Even a small amount of the ingredient they’re allergic to could lead to a date with disaster.
In general, stomachaches can be misleading. What seems to be a case of gas may actually be a case of appendicitis. In children, stomachaches should be dealt with according to how long they last, how intense the pain is, how sick the child looks, and the other symptoms that accompany the stomachaches. Children have difficulty in describing exactly how they feel or precisely where the pain they feel is. These guidelines will help you determine whether it’s time to seek medical help.
Your pediatrician can refer a specialist in case the stomachaches persist even after medication. You should keep in mind these common causes of stomachaches in children so that the next time your children complain of stomachaches, you won’t have to worry or panic right away.