Tummy pain – Handling it

You have just had dinner and are about to retire to bed. Suddenly, your child curls himself into a ball and starts to cry due to a stomach ache. Or your newborn wakes up at night crying and wincing in pain. It can be worrying for you especially if vomiting and frequent loose stools accompany the pain. No need to panic, because most of the time, this can be taken care of without having to call a medical caregiver.

What are the common causes of stomach aches?
Stomach flu
This disease, also known as gastroenteritis, is caused by bacteria and virus. The most common signs are vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. This is non-treatable albeit a non-serious infection. Plain water is best for diarrhoea and vomiting in young children. Salt and sugar mixed in plain boiled water is also suitable for re-hydration as they help the body retain water.

Food poisoning
This occurs when your child eats anything containing bad bacteria. It is very common among school-going children because they may eat packed lunch that has gone stale, under-cooked food or swallow non-food items. Most notable signs of food poisoning are sudden abdominal cramps, vomiting, and possibly diarrhea; one to eight hours after eating.

Gas
If your child is not vomiting or having loose stool, the more likely cause of his stomach pain could be accumulated gas. Swallowing gas while breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, drinking with a straw or eating food that irritates the stomach may cause this condition. Symptoms may include sharp pains in the belly that come and go. Your child may also feel gas bubbles moving about.

Heartburn and allergy
This is a different pain that occurs after your child eats a particular food group, mostly protein (though not necessarily) which reacts with his system. As a result, there is overproduction of stomach acid, which lasts for a while – as long as the food is in the body. Eating spicy or greasy food may also cause these.

The symptoms may be burning pain in the upper part of the belly, in the chest or the left side below the ribcage.

Sports
Activities that require use of the abdominal muscles such as sit-ups and press-ups can cause soreness in these muscles, thus pain in the tummy. This is particularly common among children who participate in sports after a prolonged time of inactivity.

Constipation
At the beginning of indigestion, constipation may cause stomach pain. The pain can be anywhere in the belly although your child will complain of intense pain near or at the navel. The pain will come and go as the hard pooh moves down.

Management

• Sit your child in a warm bath, gently rub his tummy, and place warm towels or hot water bottle on the aching part
• Children need treatment to replace lost fluids. Give the salt and water solution or oral re-hydration salts from the pharmacist in small frequent feedings
• Keep track of suspected foods that may trigger heartburn or cause allergic reactions and keep them off his diet
• Place your baby in a position that he can burp after breastfeeding to avoid retaining gas
• A glass of milk or an antacid can soothe a heartburn
• Teach your child hygiene and sanitation such as washing hands, and washing fruits before eating

Caution: Do not give any medicine for diarrhoea or vomiting without checking with a medial caregiver and if you suspect that your child has more than a stomach pain, seek medical attention.

Call the doctor if your child:

• Has continuous and increasing pain at the belly button that does not go off at all
• Has high fever
• Refuses to eat
• Vomits for more than 24 hours
• Is unable to walk and instead lies curled up pressing his belly for longer than half an hour

All these may be indicative of appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, twisting of intestines and other serious conditions in the body.

END: BL 31 / 16