What are the common causes of recurrent abdominal pain in children?

  Abdominal pain in pediatric patients occurs either suddenly or in chronic recurrent episodes. Since pediatric abdominal pain can be caused by functional as well as organic lesions, it is important to rule out whether pediatric abdominal pain is a surgical acute abdomen first to avoid further development of the condition and delaying treatment. To determine the cause of abdominal pain in pediatric patients, the following aspects can be considered: age factors The causes of abdominal pain in children vary according to their age. For example, intestinal spasm is more common in neonates; intussusception and incarcerated hernia are common in infants and toddlers; and functional abdominal pain in preschoolers is mostly due to intestinal ascariasis, complications of ascariasis, and vegetative nerve disorders.  Nature of pain Abdominal pain in children, such as paroxysmal colic, is often caused by obstruction of cavernous organs or smooth muscle spasm, such as intestinal and biliary roundworm disease, intestinal entrapment, acute hemorrhagic necrotizing enterocolitis, ureteral calculi, etc. In case of persistent dull pain, it is often caused by swelling of the substantive organs involving the peritoneum, such as hepatosplenomegaly, hepatic stasis in right heart failure, etc. Occult pain is usually seen in peptic ulcers. Persistent severe pain is most often seen in gastrointestinal perforation and peritonitis, etc. If the pain is accompanied by paroxysmal colic on top of persistent pain, there may be inflammation with obstruction, such as biliary ascariasis with biliary tract infection.  In pediatric clinics, it is common to see children with recurrent paroxysmal abdominal pain as the main complaint. Some of them have severe abdominal pain, some have vague pain, some have long or short abdominal pain, and some have severe abdominal pain with vomiting. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The common causes of recurrent abdominal pain in children are the following: (1) swallowing too much air Mostly seen in infants and young children during the breastfeeding period, because the pacifier or mother’s nipple does not completely block the child’s mouth during breastfeeding, and inhaling too much air while sucking milk, due to the stimulating effect of cold air, can cause the child’s gastrointestinal peristalsis to increase, intestinal spasm, resulting in crying in children who do not speak, and mostly paroxysmal crying, crying The two legs are often curled, and the shrill howling often suggests severe abdominal pain, some of which may be accompanied by vomiting, with intervals of complete relief, and the child behaves as normal.  (2) Gastrointestinal spasm, also known as functional abdominal pain, is mostly caused by the usual consumption of cold food, with the consumption of cold rice. Cold water is the most common; followed by upper sensation. Indigestion. Allergic intestinal spasm (allergic purpura). Causes abdominal pain as paroxysmal, with occasional vomiting, no fixed pressure pain and muscle tension in the abdomen, and a soft abdomen. It is not distended, and the bowel sounds are normal or hyperactive. The abdominal pain stops and the pediatrician behaves as usual.  (3) Intestinal roundworm disease Repeated episodes of abdominal pain are generally not heavy, mostly located around or slightly above the umbilicus, and the pain is irregular and of variable duration. The child likes to press the abdomen during abdominal pain, mostly without pressure pain and muscle tension, and some children are accompanied by loss of appetite. Nausea. Vomiting, etc., individual children have partial food or prefer to eat furnace crumbs. Some children have partial food or prefer to eat crumbs. In suffering from sensation. The abdominal pain can be exacerbated by indigestion or inappropriate deworming. The diagnosis of this disease is mainly based on the history of excretion and the detection of eggs in the feces, but the disease cannot be excluded if no eggs are detected. It should be noted that folklore suggests that “white spots” are common on the face of children with ascariasis. There are irregularly shaped blue dots on the sclera. Fingernails have white dots, which have been proved by scientific research are not unique to ascariasis and should not be used as a basis for diagnosing this disease.  (4) Pediatric chronic gastritis or peptic ulcer This disease is often recurrent paroxysmal, mostly irregular, with pain on or around the umbilicus, often accompanied by pressure pain in the upper abdomen. Anorexia. Leanness. Vomiting, lack of belching in adults. Typical manifestations such as pantothenia. Most children have an unclean diet. A history of uneven hunger and satiety or a preference for cold and raw food. Early fiberoptic gastroscopy should be done to clarify the diagnosis.  In conclusion, there are many causes of abdominal pain in children, which can be dozens of, in addition to abdominal diseases, can also be caused by extra-abdominal disorders; can be organic lesions of internal organs, but also functional abnormalities, and the types of diseases that cause abdominal pain are different at different ages. Some abdominal pains require surgical treatment or even emergency treatment. The ones we have listed are only a few of the most common ones in clinical practice. Therefore, pediatric abdominal pain should be given sufficient attention by parents and doctors.