Abdominal cramps in the child: causes of discomfort

Spasms in the abdomen of a child can be a sign of overeating, poor intestinal motility, physical overwork, a malfunction of the nervous system. Usually, pain is combined with diarrhea and vomiting.

The term "stomach pain" is used to refer to all types of spasms that a child experiences in the upper abdomen. Sometimes the pain is localized below. They can be acute and chronic.

Understanding what caused the spasms in the child will help alleviate his suffering and provide him with comfort.

Why does the stomach ache in very young children, preschool children and adolescents?

What causes cramps in the abdomen? The reasons for the child may be different. Much depends on age. Pain in the stomach in a child in 1 year are identical to those of adults. A rare exception is the presence of a cholelithiasis in a child.

Pain in the tummy of a child of 3 years is often caused by the presence of appendicitis in the acute form, peritonitis or diverticulitis.

Spasms in the belly of a child of 5 years can have a functional nature. They are not associated with pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract or failure of the work of other organs. Compare these pains with migraine in adults.

What can be caused in the children of primary school age cramps in the abdomen? The reasons for a child of 8 years are the presence of diseases that occur in chronic form. For example, it can be gastritis, gastroduodenitis, pancreatitis.

The ration of the child in preschool age is already similar to the adult. The kid owns a spoon and a fork, has a preference for food. Many attend a kindergarten.

With spasms at 6 years, suspicion of GI disease is considered the last. To the forefront are such causes as enterovirus, dysentery or helminthic invasion. In some cases, they may indicate a malfunction in the kidney and liver.

According to the observations of many pediatricians, it is not so often to complain of a child at 3 years old complaining of stomach pain. Sometimes parents do not believe their child, thinking that he does not want to go to kindergarten. Of course, there are also such cases, but not always children say untruth.

Spasm of the belly of a child of 3 years can be both acute and chronic. Often found the first case. Such a condition in medicine was called "acute stomach". In most cases, the presence of intestinal infection or acute intestinal obstruction is established.

A distinctive feature of chronic pain is often recurrent colic. The main causes of this condition can serve as violations of the gastrointestinal tract of a functional nature. At the age of 3 to 6 years often there is a dysbacteriosis and a chronic constipation. One of the leading causes is the defeat of the stomach with worms.

Colic in infants

Colic is present in infants until six months. They can be described as unexplained abdominal cramps, which are experienced by babies almost from the very beginning.

Such pains are diagnosed in 20% of babies. In addition to the fact that the pains are stable, children with similar spasms suffer from staple stool and gases. It is the reaction of the child's organism to improperly selected food or poor-quality food.

Also, colic may be a signal of intolerance to the milk sugar contained in the mother's milk. The reason may be that the baby is on artificial feeding. The overwhelming majority of children cope with this problem after 4 months.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease

This ailment is often observed in infants. The disease provokes strong spasms in the abdomen of the child, which cause crying. As a rule, such a state is observed periodically. If you have a suspicion of this disease, you should consult a pediatrician who will recommend the necessary tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Presence of gastritis

Gastritis is called inflammation of the gastric mucosa. It proceeds in both acute and chronic forms.

The disease can be caused by the use of spicy foods, chronic vomiting, stress, malnutrition or the use of certain medicines, for example "Aspirin" or other anti-inflammatory drugs.

If you do not treat the child with gastritis, then it can lead to the development of stomach cancer.

Constipation

Constipation is often the cause of severe pain in the baby's stomach. They appear suddenly and pass just as quickly.

Such spasms in the abdomen of the child (2 years) are observed when the pot is independently paced. Often kids suffer from constipation in the event that the act of defecation is carried out at the reflex level at the request of adults, and not by nature.

Painful sensations during constipation are concentrated in the left side of the abdomen. An additional symptom is nausea. Increased fiber intake and drinking will help the child cope with this ailment.

Allergy to food

Spasms can also cause food, to which the child is allergic. Such a morbid reaction of the body can cause ordinary meat, fish, smoked products, citrus, eggs and chocolate.

As a rule, with an allergy on the skin of a child, there is a rash. It can be dry or wet. When diathesis forms small bubbles, which are strongly itchy.

Allergies can cause diarrhea, spasms, nausea and even vomiting. Often formed dysbiosis, which causes the appearance of a loose or sturdy stool. Food allergies can cause a runny nose, cramps in the bronchi and cough.

Stomach upset

Spasms in the abdomen, gurgling, and heaviness, as a rule, accompany diarrhea in children. Diarrhea can be caused by viruses and bacteria, as well as being the result of food poisoning and the presence of worms.

Cluster invasion

Defeat with pinworm can cause spasms in the stomach. This condition is observed if the infection has developed too deeply. Pain in the abdomen with helminthic invasion is accompanied by bloating and abundant gases. This condition can cause cramps and upset stomach.

Abdominal spasm in a child of 6 years may be caused by ascarids. Weaving in lumps, helminths can cause intestinal obstruction. As a result, the child's appetite disappears, weight decreases, periods rise in temperature, nausea, vomiting with an admixture of bile, headache often, the sleep is disturbed, fears and nervousness appear. Ascarids can cause severe spasms in the biliary tract, provoke the development of purulent cholecystitis and liver abscess.

Ascaridosis can affect a child in preschool age. Larvae of helminths penetrate into the body of the baby, even with intrauterine development. They get into it through the placenta of an infected mother. Maturation of ascarids passes in the small intestine. The length of the helminths reaches 30 cm.

If you suspect that your child has worms, you should take an analysis and determine what kind of helminths bother him. For each type of parasite different methods of treatment are used.

Enterovirus

This is the so-called rotavirus infection or intestinal flu. Infection penetrates the digestive tract. More often such influenza sick children aged from six months to 2 years. Rotavirus can be transmitted with food and dairy products, as well as through contact through infected toys, underwear and household items.

Incubation of influenza is 1-2 days, less often a week. The onset of the disease is acute, the symptoms reach their maximum after 12-24 hours.

The main complaints of children include moderate spasms in the abdomen. Often, a rumbling sounds from him. Sometimes he swells. Within 2 days, the body temperature rises. Appetite disappears, frequent urge to vomit. For 3-6 days the baby's chair is liquid, like a foam. Symptoms such as runny nose and cough may also appear.

Intestinal flu is more likely to affect children who are breastfed.

Indigestion

Spasms in the abdomen of a child, aggravated with a deep breath of the baby, arise, as a rule, with diarrhea. They are doctors in the intensive category.

The disorder can cause the use of excessive amounts of food, excessive drinking of carbonated drinks or juices.

Anxiety and stress

Spasms in the stomach of a neurological nature are most common in children aged 5 to 10 years. These pains can be compared to flying butterflies in the abdomen. Symptoms of a nerve disorder are the same as with diarrhea.

The suffering of a child from this type of pain can last for hours. He often stays in the toilet for a long time to get relief.

Spasms in the stomach caused by stress, as a rule, disappear with the elimination of the source of irritation of the nervous system. It is also possible that the importance of the traumatic event has diminished for the child.

Urinary tract infection

Spasms in the stomach can be caused by infection of the urinary tract. As a rule, such pains are intense. Additional symptoms are frequent painful urge to urinate. Such infections can provoke nausea, chills and vomiting. If you suspect a disease, you should consult your doctor.

Appendicitis

When a child feels severe spasms, appendicitis is not excluded. It should be noted that the disease is a rare cause of spasms, but certainly belongs to the most dangerous category.

If you suspect an appendicitis, you should immediately contact a specialist.

Spasms caused by appendicitis may worsen for several hours. The pains are concentrated in the lower right side of the abdomen, as well as in its middle. Appendicitis provokes the appearance of vomiting, nausea and chills.

Who should I contact if I suspect a serious illness?

To what doctor to address if the child has stomach cramps? In case of presence of such phenomenon it is advised to descend or go to the pediatrist or the gastroenterologist. It is necessary to conduct appropriate examinations, make tests. Only a doctor can determine the cause of this condition and prescribe the desired course of treatment.

When to seek help from a doctor?

Most spasms are caused by the usual accumulation of gases, but there are cases when the pain in the stomach is intense and causes nausea, diarrhea and fever. In this case, ignoring such a state is simply unacceptable.

You should consult a doctor in the following cases:

• Pain in the stomach in the child is intense, it does not pass for 2 hours;
• Unpleasant sensations exacerbated by sudden movements;
• Colic observed frequently;
• Spasms Cause febrile condition;
• Colic caused a rash on the skin, the child has a pale face;
• Pain leads to vomiting with an admixture of blood or secretions of a greenish color;
• The child has black streaks in the stool;
• The child experiences pain when urinating;
• The child complains of severe spasms in all areas of the abdomen.

What measures should be taken before visiting a doctor?

There are a number of measures that help to relieve spasms in the abdomen of a child:

• Ask the child to lie down for 20 minutes, put him on his back and bend his knees. This is the most optimal posture for alleviating gastric spasms.
• To the stomach is advised to attach a towel wrapped with hot water or a heated bag of salt. So you can alleviate the condition of the child.
• You can give your child a drink of clean water, but you should be careful. The baby should not take the liquid too much and quickly. This can increase pain and provoke vomiting.
• Gently and slowly massage the baby's belly clockwise. It repeats the direction of the digestive system. This manipulation will help reduce spasms.
• Give the child tea with lemon, which should be sweetened with a couple of teaspoons of honey. This drink helps to relax the contracting muscles. Weak tea with ginger also has a high efficiency for weakening spasms. But most children refuse to drink it because of a specific smell and taste.
• Invite the child to go to the toilet. Sitting on the toilet is an excellent way to get rid of the excess of accumulated gases.

Important information

Is it possible to use medicines alone to relieve the child's condition? Spasms in the abdomen are not recommended for treatment. Do not give the child any medications. Eliminate spasms in the abdomen of a child without consulting a specialist is dangerous. Laxatives can aggravate pain, disrupt GI. Painkillers can mask serious symptoms and make the diagnosis of the disease incorrect.