10 signs that a child ’s stomachache could be something serious

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Stomachaches are incredibly common in children. Most of the time they are nothing serious at all. Most are just from a mild stomach bug, or some constipation, or hunger — or are a child’s way of getting out of something they don’t want to do. But a stomachache can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem. A stomachache worries doctors when… 1.  The pain is severe. By severe, I mean that the child cannot be distracted from it, and is crying or otherwise showing that they are extremely uncomfortable. Any severe pain warrants a trip to the doctor, whether it’s unrelenting or it comes and goes. 2.  There is blood in the stool. Most of the time, we see blood in the stool with constipation, which is usually not serious and can be easily treated. But a bad stomachache with blood in the stool can be a sign of a serious infection, inflammatory bowel disease, or another intestinal problem. So any time your child has a stomachache and blood in the stool, give your doctor a call to be on the safe side. 3.  The child vomits blood. As with blood in the stool, this isn’t always a sign of something serious. Children who have been vomiting a lot can sometimes vomit some blood, and children who have nosebleeds, or bleeding from a lost tooth or some other problem of the mouth, may vomit that blood back up. But as with blood in the stool, any stomachache with vomiting blood requires a call to the doctor. 4.  There is green vomit. Green vomit ca...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Digestive Disorders Parenting Source Type: blogs