Summary
Most stomach pain in children is benign, says Dr. Richard Honaker in this video. A child may be constipated, may have eaten the wrong kind of food and have some extra acid, or may simply be stressed.
The serious cause many parents think of is appendicitis, and Dr. Honaker describes its typical pattern. First, the child gets pain around the belly button. An hour or two later come nausea and vomiting, in that order. An hour or two after that, the pain moves down to the lower right side of the belly, where the appendix is. That progression is very suggestive of appendicitis, although Dr. Honaker notes that appendicitis can show up in many different ways.
Another sign of serious abdominal pain is what doctors call rebound. Dr. Honaker suggests having your child jump off a step just 6 to 8 inches high. If their stomach hurts worse when they land, that’s rebound, a sign of inflammation inside the abdomen that could be appendicitis. Get it checked.
Key takeaways
- Most stomach pain in kids is harmless: constipation, food or stress.
- The typical appendicitis pattern is pain around the belly button, then nausea and vomiting, then pain moving to the lower right belly.
- Appendicitis doesn’t always follow the typical pattern.
- If the stomach hurts worse when your child lands after a small jump (rebound), have it checked.
Questions Dr. Honaker answers
What usually causes stomach pain in children?
Most often something minor, such as constipation, eating the wrong food or stress.
What does appendicitis look like in a child?
Pain around the belly button first, then nausea and vomiting an hour or two later, then pain that moves to the lower right part of the belly.
What is “rebound” pain?
If your child’s stomach hurts more when they land after jumping off a low step, that’s rebound, a sign of inflammation inside the abdomen. Dr. Honaker says to get it checked out.
