What should I do about pediatric abdominal pain?

  Abdominal pain disorders are one of the most common diseases in pediatrics. Because young children express abdominal pain only by laughing and quarrelling, they cannot express the nature and location of abdominal pain and its evolution, and are uncooperative in physical examination; older children conceal their condition for fear of hospitalization and injections, thus pediatric abdominal pain is particularly prone to misdiagnosis.  The characteristics of acute abdominal disease in infants and young children, the clinical characteristics of acute abdominal disease is the rapid onset, rapid progress, many changes, heavy condition, once the delay in diagnosis or rescue is not timely, it may bring serious harm to the patient’s body or even life-threatening. Pediatric acute abdominal disease is more rapidly progressing than that of adults. Pediatric abdominal pain varies with age.  Because of the weakness of their abdominal muscles, sometimes peritonitis does not show abdominal muscle tension, but mainly abdominal distention and vomiting. (e.g., biliary perforation in infants and children). Almost all peritonitis with appendicular perforation presents only with fever, abdominal distension and incomplete intestinal obstruction; the large omentum is poorly functioning, unable to form an envelope and not easily forming a confined abscess.  What should I do if my child has abdominal pain?  Parents should not be anxious when their children have abdominal pain, as abdominal pain is not always a disease, and some abdominal pain does not require special treatment, such as growing pains. Some abdominal pains do not require special treatment, such as growing pains, which are caused by spasmodic contractions of the intestines in a state of temporary ischemia due to rapid growth and development during childhood. The site of pain is mostly around the umbilicus, and the duration is short each time. If the pain is mild, it is only a slight discomfort in the abdomen and does not need to be treated, and the pain can be relieved soon.  Poor bowel habits often occur in children. Intestinal cramps caused by improper diet. Parents can first do a simple examination: gently press the child’s abdomen to see if there are any fixed areas afraid to press and if there are any lumps. If the stomach is soft, feels comfortable when rubbing the abdomen, likes to massage the painful area, and there is no fever and diarrhea, the abdominal pain does not affect appetite and sleep, and is not accompanied by facial changes, it can be initially determined that it is not a surgical disease.  Generally, abdominal pain can be relieved by itself after a few minutes to half an hour, after that stop eating and observe for about 1 hour. If the abdominal pain is still not relieved, take the temperature again to see if there is fever? Is there a cold or flu? Also pay attention to whether the child has vomiting and diarrhea. Pay special attention to the presence of blood in the stool, which indicates serious symptoms. Are there any recent injuries? Don’t use painkillers until you know the cause!  If the pain persists for a period of time and the area of pain is fixed, if the child moans or screams, and if the pain worsens in bursts; if the child is not in good spirits, does not want to eat, cannot stand upright when walking, or holds the abdomen with hands or curls the legs, it indicates serious abdominal pain; if there is a combination of fever, vomiting or diarrhea, abdominal distention, bloody stools, change in color, etc., go to the hospital immediately.