Definition

• Pain or discomfort in the stomach (abdomen or belly)
• Stomach pains occur when your child is worried about something
• This is often called the “worried stomach”

Health Information

Symptoms

• The pain occurs in the pit of the stomach or near the belly button.
• The pain is mild to moderate.
• The pain is real but harmless.

Pain Scale

• Mild: Your child feels pain and tells you about it. But, the pain does not keep your child from any normal activities. School, play, and sleep are not changed.
• Moderate: The pain keeps your child from doing some normal activities. It may wake him or her up from sleep.
• Severe: The pain is very bad. It keeps your child from doing all normal activities.

Causes

• The most common cause of frequent stomach pains is stress and worry.
• These children tend to be sensitive and very serious. They often are model children.
• This can make them more at risk to the normal stresses of life.

Prevention of Stress

• Teach your child the importance of getting adequate sleep
• Daily exercise releases chemicals that protect from stress.
• Do something fun and relaxing every day. Examples are music, a walk, reading, and talking with friends.

Care Advice

1. Overview:
   • Over 10% of children have a “worried stomach”.
   • Your child can learn to control it.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Relax:
   • To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed.
   • Laying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths will help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath.
   • Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to CDs that teach how to relax might also help.
3. Talking:
   • Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain.
   • Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
   • Help your child worry less about things he or she can’t control.
4. Sleep:
   • Make sure your child gets enough sleep. This should be at least 8 hours each night.
   • Stress is easier to handle if you get adequate sleep.
5. What to Expect:
   • If your child can relax, the pain may be gone in 30 minutes. If not, the pain may last 2-3 hours.
   • A “worried stomach” won’t go away. Many adults have it.
   • The only way to reduce attacks is to learn to deal with normal stresses.
6. Return to School:
   • Make sure that your child doesn’t miss any school because of stomach pains.
   • Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.

Call Your Doctor If

• Stomach ache becomes worse than usual
• Stomach ache lasts longer than usual
• You think your child needs to be seen
• Your child becomes worse

Author: Barton Schmitt MD, FAAP

Copyright 2000-2020 Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC

Disclaimer: This health information is for educational purposes only. You the reader assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it. The information contained in this handout should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. Listing of any resources does not imply an endorsement.

#AAP