'My tummy hurts.'

Daughter has been complaining about tummy pain since two weeks ago. Other than rubbing some ointment oil on her tummy, which seems to make the pain disappear, I am not giving her any medication.

I googled 'child stomach pain' and found good information on KidsGrowth.com

Strangely her stomach pain started occurring when husband started his project three weeks ago which is taking a lot of his attention away from her.

But if her pain persists to next week, I might have to bring her to see her doctor just to make sure nothing serious is going on.

'Although a physical cause for recurrent abdominal pain in children is rarely discovered, it is wise to have your child evaluated by their physician to eliminate any possibility that they might have another medical condition which causes belly pain. These might include a urinary tract infection, an ulcer, or a food allergy. '

The following points are good practical advice for parents:

1. When your child has pain, use "concerned neglect." It is important that your child know you care about their discomfort, but do not go overboard. When the pain occurs, have the child lie down until they are feeling better. Employ a heating pad or a hot water bottle so the child feels you believe them. If the pain occurs during periods of responsibility (school, chores, etc), have the child go back to their obligation in a non-punitive way once the pain subsides.

2. Try to encourage your child to think of their stomachache as the body’s way of talking to them, telling them that they are worried or anxious about something. Ask them to think about what that might be. Unfortunately, many times the child themselves do not know what is bothering them, and what might be a stressful situation for one child might be a non-anxiety producing event for another child.
   

3. Avoid becoming attentive to your children only when they are sick. This will cause your child to exaggerate every complaint in an attempt to get attention. Give them more attention when they are pain free. A lot of recurrent abdominal pain perhaps would be avoided if more parents heeded the advice on the bumper stickers, "Have you hugged your kid today?"

4. The child has to feel that their parents believe them when they say their stomach hurts, and that they are not "faking" the pain.
   

5. Beware of over programming your child’s day. Provide your child plenty of "free" time just to relax. Stomachaches can sometimes be the "break" your child needs from too many activities and too much pressure. It is not possible to eliminate all forms of stress in your child’s life but it is useful to teach your child how to deal with life’s stresses more effectively.

6. Do not discuss this problem with friends or relatives in the presence of your child. Parents sometimes thoughtlessly transfer their medical fears to their child.
   

7. Occasionally, recurrent abdominal pain is due to indigestion from eating too much or too fast, from being forced to eat when the child is not hungry, allergies or intolerance to certain foods, particularly dairy products. Observing your child’s diet may provide an answer.

8. Keep a monthly weight chart. A steady weight gain is good, solid evidence of a healthy child. Monitor your child carefully.
   

9. It is important for children to feel comfortable talking to their parents. This will help the child externalize their feelings and remove the internalized tension from their stomach. Therefore, children need parents who are good listeners.