TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Many kids can get an occasional upset tummy, but what if your child's stomachaches are more persistent? , associate director of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children's in Los Angeles, offers up possible diagnoses that doctors should look out for. First of all, kids' stomach pain isn't uncommon: About a third of youngsters will at some point complain of persistent abdominal pain, according to Cedars-Sinai. Luckily, a pediatrician or gastroenterologist can usually get to the bottom of the trouble.
Anytime your child complains for more than two weeks of any of these symptoms -- aches, cramps, bloating, gas or nausea -- it's time to take them to the doctor, Ziring said. Things might become more urgent if the child is also experiencing abnormal weight loss, loss of appetite, unexplained fever, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool or joint pain. "Parents should always bring their children to the doctor when they're concerned, but these red flags are more likely to indicate a problem that requires further investigation and intervention," Ziring explained in Cedars-Sinai news release.
Exactly where is the child feeling pain? If it's nearer to the navel then it may not be something serious -- but the further away from the bellybutton the pain is centered, the more serious the cause might be, Ziring said. Doctors such as pediatric gastroenterologists typically do a thorough exam and ask parents for a.