Most Common Health Issue Among Children

Hi everyone!

I am Dr. Preeti Singh, consultant pediatrician. Today I am going to speak about stomach ache and abdominal pain. What are the common causes and what are the measures that you can do to prevent this problem at home? So as most of us have faced, abdominal pain is one of the most common problems for which a child visits a doctor and parents are most disturbed on seeing their child in pain. So starting off with the common causes- the causes are different according to the age of the child. In infants, the most common cause which is seen is Infantile Colic. Apart from that there can be causes like infections of the intestinal tract. In older children, the most common cause for pain in the abdomen or stomach ache is gastritis. Apart from that it can be diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. Then there can be urinary tract infection, hepatitis and worm infestations.

There are other common causes which are mostly surgical conditions like appendicitis, gallstones, diabetes and many more to discuss. There are certain measures which parents can do at home which can provide some relief to the baby or the child. So for infants and younger babies what you can do is have a proper feeding technique in which breastfeeding is preferable and if you are using the bottle, try to use a bottle which has a nipple that prevents infections. Secondly, burping after the feeds is very important as it lets out the stomach air and provide some relief. You can give baby some tummy time in your supervision which is keeping the baby on his tummy for about 10-15 minutes three times a day but it should be under close supervision. Then, cuddling the baby may provide some relief from the pain and last is the choleric medication in the dose which has been prescribed by the doctor.

For older children and adolescents the thing that should be practiced is giving non-spicy food for most meals, light meal which is not preferably fried. Try and avoid constipation by giving fibre rich meal and ensuring adequate water intake. Proper handwashing before taking the meals and in case the pain persist or you can give the pain medication in the dose which has been prescribed by doctor. These measures would relief most of the pain but in case the pain is persistent and the child is having severe discomfort and there is persistent vomiting, the pain is localized to any particular site, if the child is running high fever. is dull, lethargic, not eating well- then you should visit your nearest hospital or health center. Thank you!