Abdominal pain observed in children can have various causes. Regardless, abdominal pain is a condition that should be taken seriously and a doctor should be consulted immediately. Abdominal pain is very common in children. Sometimes it can be a sign of serious health problems. In some cases, it only occurs in intestinal problems such as constipation and gas. Although there are many factors among its causes, gastroenteritis, known as gastrointestinal infection, is the most common cause of abdominal pain in children. Abdominal pain that requires urgent surgical intervention may be due to the most well-known reasons such as appendicitis. Frequent and recurrent abdominal pain in children can be a sign of a serious health problem. It is important that severe abdominal pain, whether chronic or not, should be evaluated by a specialist physician.
What Causes Abdominal Pain in Children?
Abdominal pain in children is quite a common condition. The causes of abdominal pain in children vary considerably from age to age and health problem.
While some abdominal pains occur only in infancy, abdominal pain due to reasons such as gastroenteritis and appendicitis is more common in older children. The main causes of abdominal pain in children are as follows.
- Digestive system problems such as gastroenteritis, constipation, food poisoning, lactose intolerance,
- Hepatitis, rupture of the spleen , liver, intestinal and biliary tract disorders such as pancreatic infection ,
- Blood system diseases such as anemia,
- Poisonings such as lead poisoning,
- Some drugs used,
- Respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia,
- Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF),
- Diabetus Mellitus (Diabetes),
- Causes such as Neonatal Colic are among the common causes of abdominal pain in children. Chronic abdominal pain is mostly caused by internal organ and tissue disorders.
In babies What Causes Abdominal Pain (Colic)?
Colic is the situation of prolonged crying spells during the day, at least 3 or 4 days a week, for a few weeks in some healthy babies. Colic usually starts in the newborn period and decreases after the 3rd or 4th month. Colic is a worrying situation especially for parents. The reason is not known exactly. It is still being investigated why colic occurs at certain times of the day, and why it occurs in some babies but not in others.
Possible causes include:
- Digestive system not yet fully developed,
- Changes in the amount of beneficial bacteria in the intestines,
- Food allergies or indigestion,
- Excessive nutrition, undernutrition, inability to pass gas,
- Early childhood migraine,
- It is thought that there are factors such as stress in the family.
How to Treat Abdominal Pain (Colic) with Babies?
The main target in the treatment of colic is the baby. comfort and help parents get support if needed. Some of the methods that can be used in the treatment are:
- Using a pacifier,
- Putting the baby around in the stroller,
- Carrying the baby on the lap,
- Covering the baby in a warm bath. taking a shower,
- Massaging the abdominal area to facilitate the baby's gassing,
- Making the baby listen to soothing, calm music or sounds,
- Sounds called white noise to the baby to listen; It is to keep the baby away from visual stimuli and very bright environments, such as the sound of a vacuum cleaner or a dryer. In addition, protecting and supporting the mental health of parents can also help with colic infant care and relief of symptoms.
In some studies, the use of probiotics causes colic babies to cry� You can use the supports recommended by the pediatrician you are following, since it has been seen to reduce the duration of the disease. it could be.
If the child suffering from abdominal pain cannot deal with anything else and cannot draw attention to another direction, he/she has a serious stomachache. In this case, even if the pain comes and goes, a physician's evaluation is appropriate.
If there is blood in the stool, a physician's examination is required. Blood in the stool may usually be due to constipation and may not seem like an important finding. However, as a result of inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal knotting, blood may be seen in the stool. Therefore, if abdominal pain is accompanied by blood in the stool, a physician's examination is necessary.
Various respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia can cause abdominal pain. Therefore, if there is fever and severe cough with abdominal pain, physician evaluation is required.
If there is pain during urination with abdominal pain; this may be a harbinger of urinary tract infection.
If the abdominal pain is severe and continuing; Considering acute abdominal events such as appendicitis, a doctor should be consulted urgently.
If there is facial swelling, hives, dizziness and pale appearance, a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis may be seen. Since this is a life-threatening situation, urgent intervention is required.
If there is high fever and intense weakness accompanying abdominal pain; This could be an indication of low blood pressure. Low blood pressure condition accompanying infection in any part of the body should be evaluated by a physician.
If there is weight loss, a physician's examination may be required. While it may be normal to experience weight loss with vomiting and diarrhea accompanying abdominal pain, a physician's opinion should be consulted in case of weight loss that cannot be regained for a certain period of time and a visible weight loss.How to Diagnose Abdominal Pain in Children?
In cases where the cause of abdominal pain in children is not very obvious, some diagnostic tests can be performed to help diagnose. This test These usually include blood tests, urine testing, and examination of stool samples. In addition to these tests, direct imaging such as x-ray or imaging techniques such as ultrasound can be used to identify the cause of abdominal pain. Along with these tests, the diagnosis is made by evaluating the general physical examination and the history of the disease.
How to Treat Abdominal Pain in Children?
Abdominal pain in children is treated with different methods depending on the determination of the underlying cause. For example; in cases such as indigestion, lactose intolerance; nutritional changes may be sufficient to relieve complaints.
In the presence of conditions such as urinary tract infection, it may be necessary to use antibiotics and painkillers. Surgical intervention is required if there are serious medical problems such as appendicitis or intestinal knotting. The type of treatment specialist physician; determines using detailed physical examination, disease history, diagnostic tests and imaging results. In some cases, the diagnosis cannot be made definitively as a result of the findings and evaluation. In cases where there is no certainty in the diagnosis, the evaluation can be repeated. After the diagnosis is made, appropriate treatment is recommended by a specialist. Although abdominal pain in children is common in the general population, it should not be forgotten that it can be a sign of a serious health problem. Therefore, a child with abdominal pain should be evaluated in detail by a specialist physician.Read: 27
