Question
My daughter, who is 4 and a half years old, suddenly felt abdominal pain and sweating excessively, with her face flushed. She was urgently taken to the hospital, where an emergency surgical examination ruled out acute abdomen. In the pediatric department, she was prescribed four medications: probiotics, Vitamin B12, pepsin oral solution, and metoprolol tablets (one-third of a tablet). After taking them for three days, her symptoms did not completely disappear, and she continued to feel abdominal pain, asking for gentle abdominal massage. What should I do?
Answer
There are many causes of abdominal pain in children, with common ones including intestinal parasitosis, particularly enterobiasis. The main symptoms are abdominal pain and loss of appetite, usually located around the navel and may recur. Patients may press on their abdomen but usually do not have tenderness. Some patients may also exhibit abnormal eating habits, such as eating slag or soil. This situation should be treated promptly. Another common cause of abdominal pain is intestinal spasm, a disorder of digestive tract function. It is caused by strong contractions of the intestinal smooth muscle wall, leading to intermittent abdominal pain. Each attack may last a few minutes to several hours and may be accompanied by vomiting. The main area of pain is around the navel. The pain may recur multiple times, varying in intensity from mild to severe. Gentle massage or using a hot water bottle to warm the abdomen may help alleviate the pain.