Common Causes For Stomach Pain In Children And When To Worry

Some conditions, like ulcers, rarely strike kids before puberty, while others, like celiac disease (an immune system reaction to a protein in some grains), often cause hard-to-miss symptoms like prolonged diarrhea and weight loss. Dial your doctor if your child has any of the following symptoms:

Under six months old

• fever
• diarrhea (abnormally frequent, watery stools that may contain mucous or blood)
• extreme fussiness
• sunken fontanelle (soft spot)

All ages

•  weight loss
• bloody or black stools
• abdominal pain that awakens child at night
• difficulty swallowing
• pain when urinating
• belly pain lasting longer than 24 hours
• vomiting that continues for four to six hours or longer
• vomiting dark green material
• symptoms of dehydration: decreased urination; dry skin, mouth and tongue (look for stickiness under the tongue); no tears; sunken eyes; greyish complexion; extreme drowsiness or lethargy