Pain or discomfort in the stomach (abdomen or belly)
The stomach pains occur when your child is worried about something
This is often called the "worried stomach"
Call or Return If
Stomach ache becomes worse than usual
Stomach ache lasts longer than usual
You think your child needs to be seen
Your child becomes worse
About This Topic
Symptoms
The pain occurs in the pit of the stomach or near the belly button.
The pain is mild to moderate.
The pain is real but harmless.
Pain Scale
Mild:
Your child feels pain and tells you about it. But, the pain does not keep your child from any normal activities. School, play and sleep are not changed.
Moderate:
The pain keeps your child from doing some normal activities. It may wake him or her up from sleep.
Severe:
The pain is very bad. It keeps your child from doing all normal activities.
Causes
The most common cause of frequent stomach pains is stress and worries.
These children tend to be sensitive and very serious. They often are model children.
This can make them more at risk to the normal stresses of life.
Prevention of Stress
Teach your child the importance of getting adequate sleep
Daily exercise releases chemicals that protect from stress.
Do something fun and relaxing every day. Examples are music, a walk, reading, and talking with friends.
After Care Advice
Overview:
Over 10% of children have a "worried stomach".
Your child can learn to control it.
Here is some care advice that should help.
Relax:
To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed.
Laying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths will help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath.
Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to CDs that teach how to relax might also help.
Talking:
Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain.
Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
Help your child worry less about things he or she can't control.
Sleep:
Make sure your child gets enough sleep. This should be at least 8 hours each night.
Stress is easier to handle if you get adequate sleep.
What to Expect:
If your child can relax, the pain may be gone in 30 minutes. If not, the pain may last 2-3 hours.
A "worried stomach" won't go away. Many adults have it.
The only way to reduce attacks is to learn to deal with normal stresses.
Return to School:
Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains.
Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
