Commonly caused by Gastroenteritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, urinary tract problems, and stomach inflammation.StomachEncyclopedia Entry for Abdominal Pain :Abdominal pain - children under age 12. When your child complains of abdominal pain, see if they can describe it to you. Here are different kinds of pain: Generalized pain or pain over more than half of the belly. Your child can have this kind of pain when they have a stomach virus, indigestion, gas, or when they become constipated. Cramp-like pain is likely to be due to gas and bloating. It is often followed by diarrhea. It is usually not serious. Colicky pain is pain that comes in waves, usually starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe. Localized pain is pain in only one area of the belly. Your child may be having problems with their appendix, gallbladder, a hernia (twisted bowel), ovary, testicles, or stomach (ulcers). If you have an infant or toddler, your child depends on you seeing that they are in pain. Suspect abdominal pain if your child is: More fussy than usual Drawing their legs up toward the belly Eating poorly.Your child could have abdominal pain for many reasons. It can be hard to know what is going on when your child has abdominal pain. Most of the time, there is nothing seriously wrong. But sometimes, it can be a sign that there is something serious and your child needs medical care. Your child most likely is having abdominal pain from something that is not life threatening. For example, your child may have: Constipation Gas Food allergy or intolerance Heartburn or acid reflux Ingesting grass or plants Stomach flu or food poisoning Strep throat or mononucleosis ('mono') Colic Air swallowing Abdominal migraine Pain caused by anxiety or depression Your child may have something more serious if the pain does not get better in 24 hours, gets worse or gets more frequent. Abdominal pain can be a sign of: Accidental poisoning Appendicitis Gallstones Stomach ulcer Hernia or other bowel twisting, blockage or obstruction Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis) Intussusception, caused by part of the intestine being pulled inward into itself Sickle cell disease crisis Stomach ulcer Swallowed foreign body, especially coins or other solid objects Torsion (twisting) of the testicle Torsion (twisting) of the ovary Tumor or cancer Urinary tract infection.Most of the time, you can use home care remedies and wait for your child to get better. If you are worried or your child's pain is getting worse, or the pain lasts longer than 24 hours, call your health care provider. Have your child lie quietly to see if the abdominal pain goes away. Offer sips of water or other clear fluids. Suggest that your child try to pass stool. Avoid solid foods for a few hours. Then try small amounts of mild foods such as rice, applesauce, or crackers. Do not give your child foods or drinks that are irritating to the stomach. Avoid: Caffeine Carbonated beverages Citrus Dairy products Fried or greasy foods High-fat foods Tomato products Do not give aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or similar medicines without first asking your child's provider. To prevent many types of abdominal pain: Avoid fatty or greasy foods. Drink plenty of water each day. Eat small meals more often. Exercise regularly. Limit foods that produce gas. Make sure that meals are well-balanced and high in fiber. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. To reduce the risk of accidental poisoning and ingestion of foreign bodies: Keep all cleaning supplies and hazardous materials in their original containers. Store these dangerous items where infants and children cannot reach them. Do not allow infants and young children to play with objects they can easily swallow.Call your provider if the abdominal pain does not go away in 24 hours. Seek medical help right away or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if your child: Is a baby younger than 3 months and has diarrhea or vomiting Is currently being treated for cancer Is unable to pass stool, especially if the child is also vomiting Is vomiting blood or has blood in the stool (especially if the blood is maroon or a dark, tarry black color) Has sudden, sharp abdominal pain Has a rigid, hard belly Has had a recent injury to the abdomen Is having trouble breathing Call your provider if your child has: Abdominal pain that lasts 1 week or longer, even if it comes and goes. Abdominal pain that does not improve in 24 hours. Call if it is getting more severe and frequent, or if your child is nauseous and vomiting with it. A burning sensation during urination. Diarrhea for more than 2 days. Vomiting for more than 12 hours. Fever over 100.4 F (38 C). Poor appetite for more than 2 days. Unexplained weight loss.Talk to the provider about the location of the pain and its time pattern. Let the provider know if there are other symptoms like fever, fatigue, general ill feeling, change in behavior, nausea, vomiting, or changes in stool. Your provider may ask the questions about the abdominal pain: What part of the stomach hurts? All over? Lower or upper? Right, left, or middle? Around the navel? Is the pain sharp or cramping, constant or comes and goes, or changes in intensity over minutes? Does the pain wake your child up at night? Has your child had similar pain in the past? How long has each episode lasted? How often has it occurred? Is the pain getting more severe? Does the pain get worse after eating or drinking? After eating greasy foods, milk products, or carbonated drinks? Has your child started eating something new? Does the pain get better after eating or having a bowel movement? Does the pain get worse after stress? Has there been a recent injury? What other symptoms are occurring at the same time? During the physical examination, the provider will test to see if the pain is in a single area (point tenderness) or whether it is spread out. They may do some tests to check on the cause of the pain. The tests may include: Blood, urine, and stool tests CT (computerized tomography, or advanced imaging) scan Ultrasound of the abdomen X-rays of the abdomen.Stomach pain in children; Pain - abdomen - children; Abdominal cramps in children; Belly ache in children.Gala PK, Posner JC. Abdominal pain.Encyclopedia Entry for Abdominal Pain :Abdominal pain. Almost everyone has pain in the abdomen at some point. Most of the time, it is not serious. Abdominal organs How bad your pain is does not always reflect the seriousness of the condition causing the pain. For example, you might have very bad abdominal pain if you have gas or stomach cramps due to viral gastroenteritis. However, fatal conditions, such as colon cancer or early appendicitis , may only cause mild pain or no pain. Other ways to describe pain in your abdomen include: Generalized pain -- This means that you feel it in more than half of your belly. This type of pain is more typical for a stomach virus, indigestion, or gas. If the pain becomes more severe, it may be caused by a blockage of the intestines. Localized pain -- This is pain found in only one area of your belly. It is more likely to be a sign of a problem in an organ, such as the appendix, gallbladder, or stomach. Cramp-like pain -- This type of pain is not serious most of the time. It is likely to be due to gas and bloating, and is often followed by diarrhea. More worrisome signs include pain that occurs more often, lasts more than 24 hours, or occurs with a fever. Colicky pain -- This type of pain comes in waves. It very often starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe. Kidney stones and gallstones are common causes of this type of belly pain.Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain. The key is to know when you need to get medical care right away. Sometimes, you may only need to call a health care provider if your symptoms continue. Less serious causes of abdominal pain include: Constipation Irritable bowel syndrome Food allergies or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance ) Food poisoning Stomach flu Other possible causes include: Appendicitis Abdominal aortic aneurysm (bulging and weakening of the major artery in the body) Bowel blockage or obstruction Cancer of the stomach, colon (large bowel), and other organs Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones Decreased blood supply to the intestines ( ischemic bowel ) Diverticulitis (inflammation and infection of the colon) Heartburn , indigestion , or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) Inflammatory bowel disease ( Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis ) Kidney stones Pancreatitis (swelling or infection of the pancreas) Ulcers Appendicitis Sometimes, abdominal pain may occur due to a problem somewhere else in your body, such as your chest or pelvic area. For example, you may have abdominal pain if you have: Severe menstrual cramps Endometriosis Muscle strain Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) Tubal (ectopic) pregnancy Ruptured ovarian cyst Urinary tract infections.You can try the following home care steps to ease mild abdominal pain: Sip water or other clear fluids. You may have sports drinks in small amounts. People with diabetes must check their blood sugar often and adjust their medicines as needed. Avoid solid food for the first few hours. If you have been vomiting, wait 6 hours, and then eat small amounts of mild foods such as rice, applesauce, or crackers. Avoid dairy products. If the pain is high up in your abdomen and occurs after meals, antacids may help, especially if you feel heartburn or indigestion. Avoid citrus, high-fat foods, fried or greasy foods, tomato products, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. DO NOT take any medicine without talking to your provider. These additional steps may help prevent some types of abdominal pain: Drink plenty of water each day. Eat small meals more frequently. Exercise regularly. Limit foods that produce gas. Make sure that your meals are well-balanced and high in fiber. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.Get medical help right away or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if you: Are currently being treated for cancer Are unable to pass stool, especially if you are also vomiting Are vomiting blood or have blood in your stool (especially if bright red, maroon or dark, tarry black) Have chest, neck, or shoulder pain Have sudden, sharp abdominal pain Have pain in, or between, your shoulder blades with nausea Have tenderness in your belly, or your belly is rigid and hard to the touch Are pregnant or could be pregnant Had a recent injury to your abdomen Have difficulty breathing Call your provider if you have: Abdominal discomfort that lasts 1 week or longer Abdominal pain that does not improve in 24 to 48 hours, or becomes more severe and frequent and occurs with nausea and vomiting Bloating that persists for more than 2 days Burning sensation when you urinate or frequent urination Diarrhea for more than 5 days Fever, over 100 F (37.7 C) for adults or 100.4 F (38 C) for children, with pain Prolonged poor appetite Prolonged vaginal bleeding Unexplained weight loss.Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and medical history. Your specific symptoms, the location of pain and when it occurs will help your provider detect the cause. LOCATION OF YOUR PAIN Where do you feel the pain? Is it all over or in one spot? Does the pain move into your back, groin, or down your legs? TYPE AND INTENSITY OF YOUR PAIN Is the pain severe, sharp, or cramping? Do you have it all the time, or does it come and go? Does the pain wake you up at night? HISTORY OF YOUR PAIN Have you had similar pain in the past? How long has each episode lasted? When does the pain occur? For example, after meals or during menstruation? What makes the pain worse? For example, eating, stress, or lying down? What makes the pain better? For example, drinking milk, having a bowel movement, or taking an antacid? What medications are you taking? OTHER MEDICAL HISTORY Have you had a recent injury? Are you pregnant? What other symptoms do you have? Tests that may be done include: Barium enema Blood, urine, and stool tests CT scan Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy (tube through the rectum into the colon) EKG (electrocardiogram) or heart tracing Ultrasound of the abdomen Upper endoscopy (tube through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine) Upper GI (gastrointestinal) and small bowel series X-rays of the abdomen.Stomach pain; Pain - abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps; Bellyache; Stomachache.Gallstones - discharge.Anatomical landmarks, front view Anatomical landmarks, front view Abdominal organs Abdominal organs Abdominal quadrants Abdominal quadrants Appendicitis Appendicitis Kidney function Kidney function.MacGilchrist A, Iredale J, Parks R. The gastrointestinal system.