Question
My son is 5 years and 6 months old, and he’s been complaining of stomach pain for the past few weeks. He hasn’t eaten any unhygienic food or very cold food. What could be the cause?
Answer
Sudden abdominal pain in children is a common occurrence. There are various diseases that can cause acute abdominal pain, and these conditions often develop rapidly. Since infants and young children are not able to express themselves accurately with words, this can pose certain difficulties in diagnosing the illness. Moreover, some diseases require surgery as soon as they occur; while others can be treated conservatively in the early stages, and may require surgical removal of part of the organ in later stages; some abdominal pain can be relieved through medication. Therefore, it’s not advisable to give children painkillers arbitrarily, as this may mask the illness. One should learn to estimate the possible causes of abdominal pain based on a child’s various abnormal symptoms, and to take timely and appropriate measures to reduce the child’s suffering and avoid unnecessary losses.