Question
A six-year-old child reported intermittent umbilical pain that has been ongoing for 20 hours, with no other medical history, and the current condition is stable. What are the common treatment methods for pediatric umbilical pain?
Answer
Umbilical pain in children is one of the most common locations for abdominal pain, with a wide range of treatment options that are difficult to generalize. In six-year-olds, the most common type of umbilical pain is functional abdominal pain, accounting for up to 90% of abdominal pain cases. Functional abdominal pain refers to abdominal pain without organic or inflammatory changes. When diagnosing functional abdominal pain, an assessment is made based on the medical history, and dietary guidance as well as appropriate medication adjustments are provided. Another possible cause of abdominal pain is omentum lymphadenitis, which can cause abdominal pain when lymph nodes swell due to fever. In this case, treatment will focus on addressing the inflammation.