Every child at some point has complained of abdominal pain, but it is when a child keeps complaining that parents rightfully become worried. The sources of abdominal pain can be many including a virus, a urinary tract infection, strep throat, constipation or even more worrisome, possible appendicitis or obstruction. So, how do you know when to seek medical attention?
The most worrisome symptoms include severe abdominal pain, especially when it is in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen, abdominal pain with persistent vomiting and no diarrhea, pain with walking or movement, abdominal pain associated with bloody stools, or abdominal pain with high fever just to name a few. These symptoms always warrant urgent medical attention and often require further testing to determine the cause.
Less worrisome symptoms include mild or intermittent abdominal pain, pain that only occurs when a child does not want to do something, or pain that is associated with constipation. Constipation is the most common cause of recurrent abdominal pain in children and can cause significant pain. Often, a child will have a bowel movement every day or two, so parents don't think of constipation. However, if asked, the child will likely describe painful or bulky bowel movements or sometimes they will complain of leakage of loose stool. Leakage of loose stool sounds like diarrhea, right? Well, often, it can be a sign of a large stool ball in the left colon that is not going anywhere, so loose stool will leak around, often causing incontinence of stool. So, if you suspect your child is constipated, try the standard dietary changes that include increasing fiber (prunes are a great source of fiber), increasing water intake, decreasing milk and cheese intake and decreasing the junk food. If these measures don't help, or the pain worsens, this warrants medical attention.
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