by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
Abdominal pain is a very common symptom in children. If you have kids, you have probably heard them say my belly hurts. But as a parent what can you do?
The problem is belly pain could be the result of anything from too much candy to a serious infection. There is another issue as well. Abdominal pain is often a sign in a child that they're not happy with something in their life. Maybe it's school, maybe it's a problem with a teacher, and maybe it's a problem with a parent.
This is particularly true in those early years of school. Children don't really know how to complain about things so what they do is they talk about their belly hurting.
The belly hurting could really be a serious problem - anything from a surgical issue to some other physical illness that does not require surgery. In the cases where it's psychological you have to really evaluate it and try to figure out what's going on. It takes time, but it's worth it.
Finally, there's also the judgment of every parent. Is the belly pain simply a complaint, or could it be more? Usually parents know best.
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