Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints in pediatrics, with one of the widest range of causes. Most of the time it is due to harmless conditions; however, a small number of cases carry surgical urgency. For families, the critical skill is recognizing the warning signs.

Common Causes

  • Constipation (the most common cause of recurrent abdominal pain!)
  • Gastroenteritis (with diarrhea and vomiting)
  • Upper respiratory tract infections and strep (can cause abdominal pain in children)
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Gas, indigestion, overeating
  • In school-age children, functional abdominal pain (stress-related, without organic disease)

Findings That Require Urgent Evaluation

  • Pain that begins around the navel and settles in the lower right abdomen, worsening with walking or jumping (appendicitis)
  • A rigid, board-like abdomen that does not tolerate touch
  • Bile-stained (green) vomiting
  • Bloody stool or stool that looks like currant jelly (intussusception — especially under age 2, with crying in attacks)
  • Swelling in the groin (strangulated hernia)
  • Pain following abdominal trauma

Recurrent Abdominal Pain

For pain that recurs at least once a month and lasts longer than 2 months, growth, bowel habits, nutrition, and school-stress factors are evaluated together. Pain that wakes the child from sleep at night, weight loss, bloody stool, and a family history of celiac disease/IBD warrant further investigation.

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Related articles: Constipation · Diarrhea and vomiting · Urinary tract infection

This article is for general information purposes only; it is not a substitute for diagnosis and treatment. For any concerns about your child's health, be sure to consult a pediatric health and diseases specialist.

Uzm. Dr. Hasan Keleş — Specialist in Pediatric Health and Diseases, Gaziantep