“When should I take my child to the doctor for abdominal pain?”
My daughter has abdominal pain. What could be the cause? When should I take my child to the doctor for abdominal pain?
2 Answers
PediatricianPediatrician
Hello, Go at any time there is persistent or recurrent pain. Don't you try to figure it out? Let the physician who has seen many patients with abdominal pain be the person to say it is nothing severe. Important factors are the age of the child/person in pain, what part of the
body/abdomen is involved, does the pain travels & radiates towards another area of the body, the intensity of the pain (on a scale of 0 - 10 where 10 is the worst pain), is pain constant or comes/goes; what makes the pain worst, what makes it better; it's often a bad sign if the pain awakens the child/person from sleep; any nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, any fever/chills; any family history of colitis like Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. Simple gastroenteritis can be due to contaminated food or a stomach virus in an otherwise healthy person, these would get better on their own within 24-48 hrs & if don't get better quickly, should then see a doctor.
body/abdomen is involved, does the pain travels & radiates towards another area of the body, the intensity of the pain (on a scale of 0 - 10 where 10 is the worst pain), is pain constant or comes/goes; what makes the pain worst, what makes it better; it's often a bad sign if the pain awakens the child/person from sleep; any nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, any fever/chills; any family history of colitis like Crohn's Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. Simple gastroenteritis can be due to contaminated food or a stomach virus in an otherwise healthy person, these would get better on their own within 24-48 hrs & if don't get better quickly, should then see a doctor.