5 Common Causes Of Stomach Pain In Toddlers
As a parent, you are aware of those days, when your toddler complaining of stomach pain. There are several reasons, starting from over-eating to food allergies, which makes your toddler go through stomach pain.
Understanding the exact cause of stomach ache is tricky most of the time. Even if your toddlers are able to tell you where it hurts, you will have a hard time pinpointing the cause.
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5 Common Causes Of Stomach Pain In Toddlers:
Stomach ache can be mild, sharp, or excruciating. Some of the common causes of stomach ache in toddlers are discussed in this article. This will surely help you give a better aid to your suffering toddler with stomach pain.
1. Constipation:
Constipation is among the most common stomach problems in toddlers.
- If you notice that your toddler has less than usual bowel movements and he or she is uncomfortable during passing stool, your toddler is probably suffering from constipation.
- Another sign of constipation is hard stool which is uncomfortable and/or painful to pass.
- Constipation happens because of less fluid consumption throughout the day so make sure that you add enough liquid in your toddler’s diet.
- Food like oatmeal, prunes, peas, apricot, pears etc helps in producing looser stools.
- Cut back on foods like banana, carrots, apples, rice, etc, that causes firmer stools. Mild laxative after consulting a doctor is advisable.
[ Read: Appendicitis In Toddlers ]
2. Intestinal Gas:
Stomach pain caused by gas formation is another common problem in toddlers.
- Intestinal gas is a result of inappropriate food habit.
- Making a note of the foods your toddler recently ate will help you jot down the culprit of gas formation.
- For relief from gas, you can give your toddler an anti-gas agent such as Mylicon.
- However, if the problem has been persisting for more than three consecutive days and is followed by diarrhea, vomiting, or fever; call the doctor.
[ Read: Home Remedies For Cold In Toddlers ]
3. Lactose Intolerance:
Toddlers suffering from milk allergies face frequent diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, rashes or stools with blood.
- In some cases when toddlers are highly allergic to milk, they might even experience life-threatening reaction called anaphylactic shock.
- Toddlers with milk allergies are also affected by other dairy products like cheese, ice cream etc. Generally, these infections blow up when babies switch from breast milk to cow’s milk.
- Soy milk is the best alternative for toddlers who have milk allergies. However, a small percentage of toddlers are also allergic to soy.
- In case, your child is one of those who are allergic to dairy and soy, you need to consult a nutritionist to substitute milk with other food to fulfill the nutritional requirement of your growing toddler.
[ Read: Fever In Toddlers ]
4. Poisonous Intake:
If your toddler has accidentally swallowed something toxic such as medicine, plant, drug, or any chemical; he or she may face terrible stomach ache. It may be followed by vomiting.
- In spite of diligent care and monitoring, some children tend to swallow or consume a harmful substance. They may or may not be honest about that with you.
- Even after you are unable to understand why exactly your child seems to be suffering from a stomach ache, immediate emergency care is recommended in such cases.
5. Motion Sickness:
Many toddlers get motion sickness while riding a vehicle. Generally, on long road trips, they feel uneasiness, stomach ache and vomiting tendency.
- It is believed that motion sickness happens, when there is disconnect between what one sees outside and the motion-sensitive organs of the body.
- This problem can be avoided by taking plenty of breaks in the road trip to catch up fresh air and eat something light and fresh during the journey.
- If your child suffers too much during such journeys, you must consult a doctor and make some lifestyle changes, such as avoiding car or bus travel.
[ Read: Strep Throat In Toddlers ]
Stomach aches in toddlers are common but could be very disturbing for the parents when it causes the child to suffer too much. Thankfully, with a little understanding of the cause of stomach pain in toddlers, you can ward off the sickness easily.
Moms, we hope you found this article useful! Do keep consulting Momjunction for more articles on child health and other interesting subjects to help you in different areas of parenting.
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