Question

A four-year-old child has been experiencing frequent upper abdominal pain, loss of appetite, no weight gain, and dry stools for the past month. What could be the condition?

Answer

When a child has gastritis, parents should not worry too much. Since children are in the stage of growth and development, they have a fast metabolism and stronger tissue repair capabilities compared to adults. Generally, acute gastritis can heal within three to five days and rarely exceeds two weeks; chronic superficial gastritis treatment takes about two to three weeks, mainly controlling symptoms; while chronic atrophic gastritis treatment is longer, lasting up to three to six months or even longer. If there are no symptoms during treatment, medication can be temporarily discontinued. Here are the methods for treating pediatric gastritis recommended by Western medicine:

  1. Diet Control: Children should have three meals a day with regularity and eat according to schedule and portion size. For acute gastritis, provide liquid or semi-liquid foods and avoid overeating and consuming various irritating foods.
  2. Medication Treatment: Choose appropriate medications based on the child’s condition.
    1. Antispasmodic Painkillers: Children with abdominal pain may need to take antispasmodic painkillers such as atropine for a short period, taken before meals. If oral administration is not possible, they can be administered subcutaneously.
    2. Antacids: Children with acid regurgitation should take antacids.
    3. Antiemetics: Children with vomiting can use antiemetics.
    4. Antibiotics: If gastritis is caused by Helicobacter pylori infection,