Some children routinely seem to stop the household routine with stomach complaints. They are healthy, but they may become pale, complain of a headache, then throw up. These children are not faking or malingering --- their stomach pain is real. As a parent, you must try to get control over your child's symptoms and get the household running smoothly again. Discuss your child's stomach complaints with his pediatrician, who can give advice specific to your situation.
Recurrent Abdominal Pain
Frequent stomach aches in your child can develop from one of several causes, ranging from constipation to serious illness. Some children may express their anxiety through stomach pain --- while the pain has no overt physical cause, their stomachs do hurt, the University of Michigan Health System explains.
If your child reports stomach pain that causes him to miss out on enjoyable activity at least once per month, he may suffer from a condition called recurrent abdominal pain, commonly abbreviated RAP. This condition affects about 15 percent of children ages 4 to 12.
The cause of RAP is different for each child --- it can stem from diet, an immature nervous system or increased sensitivity. Other children develop RAP because of anxiety or depression.
When your child develops an RAP-related stomach ache, he may also complain of headache. He may vomit, meaning he misses a day of school, particularly if his physical appearance suggests illness.
Treating RAP
Your child may benefit from several sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, which involves teaching her about RAP and how her stomach pain will be managed. You, your child and partner all participate in training sessions aimed at learning how to manage the causes of her stomach pain.
She may also benefit from other behavioral therapies such as biofeedback, relaxation, distraction and learned coping skills. Your doctor may also advise you to add more fiber to your child's diet; in conjunction with biofeedback, her RAP may decrease.
Dietary change --- reducing the level of lactose in your child's diet --- will not likely change your child's RAP symptoms, the University of Michigan Health System reports. Famotidine helps children who suffer from RAP along with dyspeptic symptoms such as burping, heartburn and vomiting. Pizotifen, used to treat so-called abdominal migraines, may also help treat symptoms of RAP. Peppermint oil-coated painkilling medications can help decrease abdominal pain, particularly if your child has irritable bowel symptoms.
Overeating
If your child has eaten too much, he may complain of a stomach ache; he may have stomach cramps and his stomach may be bloated. Wet a washcloth in warm water, squeeze it out and spread it over his stomach, then give him a gentle belly rub to force the gas down through his intestines. As you evaluate his symptoms, consider whether he has just left the dinner table or if he might be experiencing other symptoms.
Stress
Your child may complain of a stomach ache just as she is about to leave your house for school. In this case, she may be feeling stress, which is expressing itself as stomach pain.
If your child has no other physical symptoms other than a stomach ache, this may be stress, "Parenting" magazine explains. You can help by relieving some of the stress she is experiencing --- discuss what might be worrying her and do your best to put her at ease.
