Common Causes For Stomach Pain In Children And When To Worry

What it could be

Although rare before adolescence, irritable bowel syndrome can crop up afterwards. What causes it is unclear, but somehow, the bowel becomes oversensitive to normal digestive action.

What parents can do

Treatment includes increasing fibre intake and avoiding caffeine beverages and fatty foods like French fries. Cheryl Mutch, a paediatrician in Burnaby, BC, also suggests kids don’t miss meals. “If they’re skipping breakfast and lunch and not eating until they get home from school, that overloads the [digestive] system, and they get a stomachache.”

When to worry

Call your doctor if the constipation and diarrhea keep alternating, are getting more frequent, or are causing ongoing pain, missed school or changes in appetite. Get medical advice sooner if your child has weight loss, bloody stools, vomiting, pain that wakes them at night, persistent diarrhea, or symptoms that are affecting growth or daily life, since those signs may point to something more serious than a sensitive bowel.