How do I cure Abdominal Pains in my Child?

Abdominal pains are common occurrences in children.  They have to be treated according to the causes that lead to the pain.  Children and specially toddlers have a high average of this disorder.  Most of these pains are not serious as they may occur due to infections and bacteria in the digestive system which can be treated with local medicines and home remedies.  They are not a cause of concern for the parents.  But on the other hand, if these abdominal pains persist for a longer period, then parents should take these symptoms seriously and should consult a doctor or a specialist regarding the cause.  At times this problem may aggravate and lead to complications which may result in surgical interventions.

These causes can be classified as common causes and surgical or medical causes.

Common causes of abdominal pains in children can be –

Worms – These are the most common causes of abdominal pain.  Worms such as roundworms, ringworms, tapeworms, hookworms or threadworms penetrate the skin due to unhealthy hygiene and unclean habits such as not cleaning the hands properly or not cutting the fingernails.

Treatment – The most important part of the treatment is to follow a clean hygiene to prevent the worms from entering the body.  In some cases of roundworms medicines such as Mebendazole or Albendazole is used.  As hookworms suck blood in the intestine and as such iron tablets or iron boosting medicines are prescribed as a treatment.

Home Remedies – These may include:

·        1 tablespoon of raw papaya juice + 1 tablespoon of honey on an empty stomach.

·        Garlic oil

·        Grated Carrot

·        Cider vinegar + Apple juice in the proportion of 1:2.

·        Pomegranate Juice.

Food Poisoning – This is another common reason for abdominal pains in children.  This is mostly caused due to eating leftover food or eating some poisonous chemical, especially in toddlers.  Food poisoning is also associated with vomiting and diarrhea and can become a serious concern for the parents.

Treatment – The treatment may consist of giving immediate medical attention to the child so as not to aggravate the problem.  Local medicines off the shelf are available.

Home Remedies –

·        Lemon Juice in warm water.

·        Organic apple cider vinegar.

·        Soybean + garlic oil in the proportion of 1 Cup:10-12 drops of garlic oil

·        Ginger tea.

Dysentery – Frequent and consistent loose motions can cause severe abdominal pains.  This frequency goes on increasing with the passage of time and may result in passing of blood or mucus at a later stage.

Treatment – A routine stool examination is needed and medications are prescribed according to the intensity of the presence of mucus and the infection.

Home Remedies -

·        ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution)

·        Mint extraction in 1 cup of water.

·        Lemon along with seeds.

·        Mint juice 1 tbps + ½ tsp. ginger juice + 1 tsp honey.

·        Apply ginger juice to the navel of an infant.

·        Boiled water + grated papaya

Sore Throat – Believe it or not, but in some children abdominal pains occur due to enlargement of abdominal glands which is a result of sore throat.  This is also associated with bouts of cough and vomiting. These are called tonsils in some cases.

Treatment – Treatment consists of medications for sore throat.

Constipation – If a child has difficulty in passing stools on regular basis, it may lead to problems of constipation which may eventually result in abdominal pains.

Treatment – For treatment of constipation, a number of laxatives are available for child constipation remedies.  Bisacodyl suppository (Dulcolax) can be administered in case of an infant or child.

Home Remedies –

·        Castor oil + milk.

·        Fruits like oranges, plums, pears and papaya.

·        Vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, French beans and beet root.

·        Unrefined food such as wholegrain bran, honey or lentils.

·        Prune juice.

·        1 teaspoon of powdered linseeds.

Along with these common causes of abdominal pains in children, there are certain disorders which can bring about these pains and which are far more serious in terms of intensity and frequency. 

Tuberculosis of Abdomen – This is a rare condition in which the child complaints of severe pain in the abdomen.  A close contact with a tuberculosis affected adult, a loss of appetite or evidence of tuber in other part of the body may be causes of tuberculosis abdomen.

Appendicitis – Appendicitis is a condition of inflammation of the appendix.  This condition may alleviate and result in the appendix busting open.  Severe abdominal pains are caused due to appendicitis.  It is also followed by loss of appetite, vomiting and fever.

Intestinal Obstruction – This is another serious condition for having abdominal pain in children.  This obstruction may be due to roundworms which surround the intestines or a disorder which is formed at the time of birth.  The child experiences severe bouts of pain along with vomiting and constipation.

Inguinal Hernia – Inguinal Hernia too brings about abdominal pain in a child.  This is due to the fact that there is a strangulation or obstruction near the groin area which make it swell.  This type of hernia can cause some very serious damage to the intestinal tract if not treated in time.

Intussusception – This disorder is seen in a child between 3 months to three years and most likely symptoms are severe pain in abdomen, loss of appetite and passing of blood in stools.

Intussusception occurs when a part of intestine gets tangled with another part of the intestine and brings about severe abdominal pains with a particular time period.

These above types of abdominal pains are placed in the category of surgical healing in which surgery is mostly recommended to get relief from the disorder.  Consulting a paediatric surgeon is a must in such cases.

Thus, it can be said that healing abdominal pains in children is a very delicate matter which has to be treated very seriously as and when they occur.  Proper treatment as well as home remedies should be tried out to relieve the pain so that the child feels comfortable.