Watching your child suffer from stomach aches can be very hard. However, every parent is familiar with the stomach ache that goes away when it's playtime or snack time. It seems to come back once all the fun things are done for the day. Sometimes they may surface every time you want your child to clean up or do chores around the house. What do you do if your child is really suffering from recurrent abdominal pain?
Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in children is different from regular stomach aches children experience as an effect of indigestion or a reaction to some foods they eat. RAP is quite common among children of the school-going age.
Stomach aches are classified as recurrent abdominal pain in children when they have such episodes at least 3 times in the last 3 months. The pain is so intense that it interferes with the child’s daily activities and the pain can last for different periods of time.
In most cases of RAP, the abdominal pain is acute from the beginning and the causes could be gastrointestinal or extraintestinal in nature. However, over the years, doctors have not found any specific organic cause for recurrent abdominal pain in children.
RAP refers to the frequency of abdominal pain in children and the duration of each of these episodes. Usually, the location of the pain is around the central stomach region but it is very difficult to confirm the same. When young children suffer from acute abdominal pain, they tend to clutch the entire stomach area and complain of pain. It is the parents or caregivers who notice changes and report the observations and feedback to the doctor
In case of recurrent abdominal pain, Indian pediatrics do not generally recommend any medication. Since the exact cause for these recurrent abdominal pain episodes is unclear, it is not easy to decide on one particular treatment.
Abdominal pain treatment in children usually involves addressing the concerns of the patient and caregiver, examining the area of pain and making adjustments to improve the quality of life. Since these episodes interfere with the child’s daily activities, doctors focus on reducing the disability rather than finding a complete solution for the pain.
In some cases of acute pain, psychological or hypnotherapy can also help. If your child is stressed or shows signs of anxiety, you can take them to a therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy. This can help your child change the way they think about certain aspects that cause them stress or anxiety. It can also help them perceive these RAP episodes differently.
The causes of RAP can differ from child to child. Some of the probable causes are:
Diagnosing RAP in children can be tricky, as many times it is more psychological than physical. Children tend to complain of pain in various parts of their bodies when psychologically uncomfortable.
When you take your child to the doctor due to complaints of recurrent abdominal pain, the doctor will do the following to confirm a diagnosis:
Recurrent abdominal pain in children can be something as simple as indigestion or more severe causes. Sometimes, it is very difficult to identify the exact cause of recurrent abdominal pain in children. Helping your child perceive this pain differently and making a few lifestyle adjustments including dietary changes can go a long way in such scenarios.
Recurrent abdominal pain in children could be due to gastrointestinal issues or some infection. It could also be due to stress and anxiety. There is no one particular cause for RAP in children.
If abdominal pain comes and goes in children, it is recurrent in nature. A doctor can help you identify the cause and come up with treatment options to help improve your child’s quality of life. In children of school-going age, recurrent stomach aches could be due to various reasons. A detailed examination by a doctor can help you identify if it is an organic cause or a psychological cause like stress and anxiety.
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