Question
Why do children often experience abdominal pain when they have a fever, and what should be done to manage it?
Answer
When children have a fever accompanied by abdominal pain, this may be a normal physiological phenomenon, medically referred to as “infant gastrointestinal growth pain.” For this type of pain, treatment is generally not required. If the pain is severe, applying heat to the abdomen or massaging the Stomach 36 (ST 36) point can help alleviate the discomfort. However, many factors can cause abdominal pain in children, so it is essential to consult a pediatrician for a diagnosis. Only after excluding other diseases can it be determined whether the pain is indeed due to gastrointestinal growth pain.