Recurring abdominal pains
Our seven year old complains in irregular intervals of stomach pains, sometimes preventing him from eating. He has has had blood tests, x-rays, hemocult and we've found nothing. Have you any suggestions on the issue?
Question:Robert Steele
Robert W. Steele, MD, is a board certified pediatrician at St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield, MO. He graduated from medical... Read more
Recurrent abdominal pain is an entity which causes frustration for the physician trying to treat it, the parents trying to find answers to it, and the child experiencing it. It is estimated that up to 25 percent of children will experience chronic stomach pains at some point in their lives. Most of the time, a specific cause is not found. This is fortunate from the standpoint that a serious medical or surgical cause is rarely the cause of these pains, but obviously, this fact does not decrease the pain the child experiences or decrease the anxiety the parents feel.
This pain is typically centrally located on the abdomen (over the stomach or around the belly button), occurs several times per week, and the child may have transient nausea and not want to eat. So what causes recurrent abdominal pain? The causes are too numerous to count but they range from diseases requiring surgery to just medication to psychiatric counseling. Most children (the ones that no serious medical condition is found) fall somewhere in between and probably have a predisposition to having abdominal problems which is exacerbated by psychological or social stresses.
Symptoms that are atypical of recurrent abdominal pain and may point to a specifical medical problem include:
I encourage you to continue talking with your physician. It sounds as if your doctor has done the appropriate screening tests. The chances of your child having a serious medical condition are quite small. This is a chronic problem requiring frequent follow up, so keep a dialogue going with your doctor.
In the meantime, encourage your child to maintain his normal daily activities, especially attending school, despite some continued pain. Communicating with the school to negotiate a brief "time-out" with a prompt return to the classroom may be most helpful. In addition, try to identify any stressors in your child's life that may be contributing to his pain.
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