Possible Causes For Abdominal Pain In Children

One of the typical reasons for a child to visit the doctor is that they are having a tummy ache. Now abdominal pain can range from something as simple as your child eating something that didn’t agree with them to life threatening illness needing surgery. Being able to tell the difference is crucial so that you as a parent can make the right decision when it comes to caring for you kid.

Typical Causes:

• Contracting an Infection – Bacterial and Viral Infections can cause some serious belly pain. This type of cause is usually dubbed as the “stomach flu.” Typically a viral infection will run its course in about 24 hours. A Bacterial Infection on the other hand are generally treated with antibiotics. Both of these infections are accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, nausea, and cold-sweats.
• Food-Born Illness – This is often referred to as food poisoning. The symptoms associated with this type of issue are quite similar to that of the flu. The cause is not that of an infection, but by either eating too much, eating something that your child has an allergy to, or eating food that produces gas. Each one of these scenarios can be the cause of belly bloating. This type of abdominal pain usually begins after food is ingested.
• Ingesting Poison – One of the more serious things a parent worries about with a abdominal pain is their child getting poisoned. This can be caused by many different items being ingested, for example laundry soap, vitamins, or ingesting a dose of medicine that is too large often referred to as an overdose. In this scenario it is important for Poison Control to be contacted 1-800-222-1222.
• Medical or Surgical Issues – This would be a much more serious issue including that of a black widow spider bite, or appendicitis, diabetes, or a blockage of the bowels. These causes can be life threatening. It is important to seek medical attention.

When you are trying to decide what the cause of your child’s pain is it is important to take into account the length the pain has been occurring, the severity of the pain, and the over-all state of the child. You as a parent know your child best, so you would know if the issue was more serious than that of the simple flu. If you think that the issue your child is experiencing is serious, do not hesitate to contact your child’s physician.

Want to know the symptoms associated with abdominal pain in children? Check out this article.