Question
Recently, my baby has been complaining of leg pain every night, with no redness or swelling in the legs, but I’m worried it might be leg pain caused by growth pain. This morning, the baby also said their stomach hurt. However, the baby’s diet has been regular and nothing unusual has been eaten. My mother-in-law thinks it might also be due to growth pain. Does growth pain cause abdominal pain?
Answer
Medically, there is a type of pain called “growth pain,” as well as abdominal pain referred to as “gastrointestinal growth pain.” This is not a disease but a normal physiological phenomenon during the growth and development period for children aged 3 to 12. This pain usually occurs due to an imbalance in the excitation and inhibition of intestinal nerve walls, leading to spasmodic contraction of the intestinal smooth muscles and causing pain. Additionally, gastrointestinal growth pain may also be caused by a disorder in the autonomic nervous system, which leads to an imbalance in the excitation and inhibition of intestinal nerve walls, thereby triggering pain. Therefore, it is also known as “childhood intestinal spasm” in medicine.