What are the Main Causes of Abdominal Pain in Children?

There is a myriad of potential causes of abdominal pain in both children and infants. The following are among the most common: 1

Gut Disorder

Imbalanced gut bacteria as a result of stress, medications or travel can cause symptoms of a gut disorder. These include constipation and diarrhoea and may bring about abdominal pain. 2,3

Bacterial Infections

Children come into contact with a lot of potentially harmful bacteria at home, at school and on the playground. Bellyache is a common side effect of this exposure. 3,4

Food-Related Problems

Overeating, food allergies and food poisoning can all result in pain in a child’s abdominal region. 5

How to Recognise Abdominal Pain in Children

Use the following symptomatic criteria to determine exactly what kind of abdominal pain your child may be experiencing, and then how to help manage it. When in doubt, always consult with a doctor or healthcare practitioner.

Localised

This type of pain is usually isolated to one area in the abdomen. Localised abdominal pain may be caused by an imbalance in a particular organ. 6

Cramp-Like

This pain is associated with bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. It tends to fluctuate and may require treatment. 6

Colicky

Though uncommon in children, conditions such as gallstones or kidney stones can bring about colicky abdominal pain, including spasms. 6

Abdominal Pain in Children: Tips & Remedies

If abdominal pain is causing discomfort to your child, you can attempt to manage it by doing the following:

Prepare a hot water bottle

Place it on your child's belly while the child is lying down flat. The warmth will help to relax the contracting muscles. 7

Gently massage the belly

Applying light pressure may help to move any gas or indigestion, bringing relief shortly thereafter. 8

Assist your child in taking small sips of water

This, when done over the course of a few hours, will eventually stimulate digestion and help any painful tension to be released. 9

How to Prevent Abdominal Pain in Children

Preventing abdominal pain in your child in the long run, will require daily effort and attentiveness from you.

Make probiotics part of the family lifestyle

Probiotics can work to reduce the incidence of abdominal pain, as well as many other digestive conditions that occur as a result of imbalanced intestinal flora. 10

Start keeping a food diary

Keep track of everything your child eats, and the relative reactions (if any) to each individual food item. Over time, you’ll be able to prevent many sore tummies. 11

Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, bellyache is just one of those things that is part of childhood. You probably have a few questions for us. Check out our FAQ.

  • Intestinal disorders including constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and bacterial infection can cause abdominal pain in infants and kids. 12

  • By monitoring the things that seem to trigger gut imbalance in your child, you can work toward preventing abdominal pain in the future. A gentle probiotic can be an ally in stabilising intestinal flora in the long run so that the incidence of bellyache is reduced. 13

  • A supplement containing good bacteria, such as Bacillus clausii, can help relieve the body of existing discomfort due to dysbiosis or antibiotic effects in a child or infant. 3

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How can Bacillus clausii help you solve your gut problems?

Bacillus clausii is a type of spore-forming good bacteria that works to rebalance the flora in your intestine. When consumed regularly, it can help to reduce the incidence of symptoms associated with gut disorders.

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Stay Informed

Learn how different daily triggers could be contributing to intestinal disorders, and how a good probiotic could be the ally you didn't know you needed.

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