Skip to main content
Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Patient Online Services
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Adams
      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Janesville
      • Kenyon
      • Lake City
      • Le Sueur
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • New Richland
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah
      • Lake Mills

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    • COVID-19
    • Influenza
    Posted By
    Timothy Slama DO

    Timothy Slama, D.O.

    Family Medicine

    Recent Posts

    • Child sleeping on adult lap
      Speaking of Health
      Do ear infections always need to be treated with antibiotics?
      October 19, 2022
    • Overhead view drinking tea
      Speaking of Health
      7 ways to combat coughs, colds
      April 12, 2022
    • Pump spray hand sanitizer
      Speaking of Health
      Steps to prevent norovirus
      December 29, 2021
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Friday, July 16, 2021

    Stomachache in children: How to know if it's serious

    Topics in this Post
    • Family Medicine
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Parenting
    Child's head on lap

    Most children experience abdominal pain from time to time. They may use terms like tummy ache, bellyache or stomachache to describe it.

    As a parent, it can be hard to decide if your child's abdominal pain is normal or the sign of something more serious. Indigestion or gastroenteritis? Anxious about something? Did they swallow a toy? Appendicitis? It can be difficult to know what to do.

    Of the many potential causes of abdominal pain in children, the most common include:

    Indigestion

    This is a general term that describes discomfort in children's upper abdomen. Common symptoms include pain or burning in the area between the breastbone and navel or bloating in the upper abdomen. Most of the time, indigestion will go away on its own and is not considered serious. Prepare smaller meals and try a bland diet. Talk with their health care provider if the discomfort persists.

    Viral gastroenteritis (stomach flu)

    This is an infection marked by watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, and nausea or vomiting. Seek medical attention if your child has a fever of 100.4 F or higher, bloody diarrhea, or has significant pain or discomfort. Most important is to stay well-hydrated.

    Constipation

    Constipated children have infrequent bowel movements or hard, dry stools. They may frequently complain of a stomachache, bloating or discomfort. Talk with their primary care provider if they don't want to eat, are losing weight, have bloody stools or are having repeated episodes of constipation.

    Stress or anxiety

    When children are stressed or anxious, their bodies release the hormone cortisol into the blood. This can trigger abdominal cramps and discomfort.

    Appendicitis

    Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. It causes sudden pain that begins around the navel and then moves to the lower right abdomen. The pain worsens if children cough, walk or make other jarring movements. Appendicitis pain typically increases and eventually becomes severe. Appendicitis is a medical emergency, and these children should receive immediate medical attention.

    Intestinal obstruction

    An intestinal obstruction is a blockage that prevents food or liquid from passing through children's small intestine or colon. It could be caused by scar tissue, a twisting or narrowing of the intestine, or if they swallow an object. Common symptoms include abdominal pain that comes and goes, and is located around or below the navel; constipation; inability to pass gas; swelling of the abdomen; or vomiting. See immediate medical attention if children are suspected to have an intestinal obstruction.

    With any abdominal pain, seek urgent medical attention if children have:

    • Pain so severe that they can't move without causing more pain
    • Difficulty sitting sit or finding a comfortable position
    • Fever
    • Bloody stools
    • Persistent nausea and vomiting
    • Skin that appears yellow
    • Severe tenderness when the abdomen is touched
    • Swelling of the abdomen

    Make an appointment with your child's health care provider if their abdominal pain worries you or lasts more than a few days. In the meantime, find ways to ease the pain. For instance, prepare smaller meals if pain is accompanied by indigestion or encourage your child to drink plenty of water if pain is due to constipation.

    Timothy Slama, D.O., is a physician in Family Medicine in Fairmont, Minnesota.


    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Family Medicine
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Parenting

    Related Posts

    Child sleeping in bed Is your child getting enough sleep?
    Two kids with backpacks running to school Back-to-school checklist: Are your kids ready?
    Parent talking with child Changes ahead: Talking with children about puberty