Seven reasons why your kids’ stomach hurts
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007
It’s not always a food allergy, although that is one of the many possible causes. Babycenter has a good article on Stomach Aches in Children.
The reasons include (but more can be possible so you should always consult your child’s pediatrician):
- Stomach flu –fairly common one this time of year
- Milk intolerance — either to lactose or the proteins in the milk
- Changes in diet (This was the cause of recent stomach-aches in our 5 year old and 7 year old kids — see my post about our family trying the Eat to Live diet)
- Upper respiratory illness –this one is surprising as you wouldn’t think the two would be related
- Intestinal blockage –causes abdominal pain and vomiting — go to the emergency room immediately if this is the case
- Lead poisoning
- Gas — often caused by kids drinking too much juice
Read the remainder of the article at BabyCenter.
We have been battling stomach pains in our 7 year old son, caused by chronic constipation, or encopresis. It started 2 years ago when a friend told him there were snakes in the toilet. That scared him to death so he didn’t sit on the toilet for a week, and thus became constipated. Then a pattern began and over time he started losing the sensation that he had to go. He sees a gastrointestinal specialist who advocates lots of fiber.
My son is very good about eating salads, fruits and vegetables, but it is very difficult for anyone to get the recommended daily amount of fiber. One of my parenting hacks for getting more fiber into him is mixing Fibercon into mashed potatoes, gravy, stews, and soups. Not a lot — because that also causes stomach pain until your body gets accustomed to it. I mix about 3 teaspoons into a family sized serving, and we all benefit from the small extra bit of fiber. It is tasteless, odorloss and colorless and dissolves very easily. No one notices!