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The easiest thing to try (to see if it helps) is MiraLax.

Children often times have tummy aches due to a back-up of stool (even though they have bowel movements).

I would buy some today and give it to her for a good week and see if it helps her stomach feel better.

After a week, if there is no improvement, then I'd take her to her pedi to discuss other causes.

Take care!
-Kathleen

Miralax is very safe, and constipation is very common. So I think momuv's idea is worth a try.

Otherwise, as far as your "What do I do" question, you ought to listen to her, and do something to briefly reassure her, like a belly rub or a kiss on the head or getting a little heating pad ready for her to hold. By doing something-- really, anything-- to help her feel better, it sends the message that mom understands and mom tries to help, which itself is very important.

The question you didn't, but is often asked, is "do I need to worry" or "when do I need to worry." With belly aches it's usually very easy to tell if it's something that needs immediate attention: severe pain in a child who can't walk or play because of the pain needs to go to the ER. Pain that comes and goes but isn't severe can be seen in a few days if it persists by a pediatrician.

"Red flags" that mean it's more likely that there's a medical problem include weight loss, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, pain that wakes the child at night, or pain that prevents the child from doing things she likes.

Sometimes it can be very helpful to keep a log or diary of belly pain: when it occurs, what the child was doing, what's been eaten, what makes it better, what makes it worse. Those kinds of clues can help parents (and pediatricians) best figure out what's going on.

Best of luck!

Hello Dr. Benaroch
I also have a 7 year daughter who has the same problem as zlmkay1. She started with vomitting and I took her to the doctor and He recomended MiraLax daily and some fiber suppliments for at least two weeks. It has been almost 2 weeks and I have done everything the doctor recomended to the T, she is not vomitting anymore but she still complains of stomach aches with nausea. She uses the bathroom everyday or every 2 days. She goes to school and w/ out fail I am getting a phone call from the nurse saying she is having stomach pains. She also have the stomach pains at home. But it's very confusing because at times she is fine and playing but then she is wants to lay down because she is hurting again and starts crying because she wants it to stop. I am really worry, I even stop watching "Mystery Diagnosis" because it makes me feel worst. I know that sounds funny, but is there something I need to be concern about? It hurts me soo much to see her in pain.

I've posted a few longer articles about belly aches recently here:

http://blogs.webmd.com/childrens-health/2012/02/belly-aches-what-should-you-do.html

http://blogs.webmd.com/childrens-health/2012/02/belly-aches-causes-and-cures.html

Since you've followed the doc's instructions for a few weeks, and the belly aches are still a problem, you need to head back to the doctor to see what the next steps are.

Talk about perfect timing! I found this today while doing some searching on the net in regards to my 6 yr old son and his stomach issues.

He has been complaining for a week EXACTLY as was mentioned above. One minute he will be fine and playing the next crying and lying in pain. After a week of back and forth with school pain and home pain we took him in yesterday to see his Pediatrician. He had been and always has been having a normal bowel movement every day.

I should mention he has also been very pale with dark circles under his eyes for a few weeks and actually asked to take a nap the other day, something he has not done in years.

We were able to get in to see the Nurse Practitioner and she ordered x-ray and a CBC/Ferritin/Iron panel and let us know last night that the Xray showed his colon was VERY full as well as his Iron level was 20 and his WBC was 4.3. Hemoglobin and Hematcrit were both at the bottom of the normal range.

They have instructed him to take Miralax 5oz 2x per day for 2 days and then 1x per day for 2 weeks. For the Iron they want him on 45mg per day in addition to his daily vitamin.

I am just curious as to if the two are related, and a tad nervous as to the high amount of iron counteracting the Miralax. When I asked the nurse about the two having any relation she had said they did not think they did and to just hope for the best.

Thank you in advance Dr.!

It's true that higher doses of iron supplements can cause constipation-- but it sounds you do, indeed, need to treat the iron deficiency. So give the iron. You might need to give a little more Miralax to counteract that, but that's OK. Both the iron deficiency and the constipation can be treated at the same time.

Best of luck!

(BTW if continues w/ constipation and iron deficiency, someone needs to test for Celiac. That can cause both.)

Dr Benaroch,

My daughter Victoria is 12 she has the same complaints every day; stomach pain, sore throat, headache and general malaise. She received labwork in Sept which showed low WBCs 3.8 low IGA 46 high alk phos 266. She continued with the same symptoms and had repeat labs in Feb her WBCs were still low 3.6 Absolute neutrophils were low 1.4 then most recently she had CBC repeated and IGA in April at is was 3.9 WBCs and IGA 35. She has lymph nodes behind her ear and neck and groin that are enlarged but I am assured they are not the bad ones? I give Victoria Pepto, Ibeuprofen, Tea, Rest, etc and yet every morning and night its the same complaints. We have ruled out auto immune disorders such as Celiac, arthritis, lupus etc I dont know what to do next even if the results are normal my daughter is still having the same complaints. What next.

Without knowing further medical details, I can't offer a specific diagnosis-- but it sounds like Ifeingerb's daughter has had a very thorough evaluation that has ruled out many serious medical problems. I would continue the medical evaluation, while at the same time exploring things like anxiety, stress, and depression that can contribute to these symptoms.

Hello Dr. Benaroch,[br>[br>My daughter is 5 years old. from last 15 days, she get stomach pain. i have done her urine test, its seems alright. The doctor i concern says, it may be Gas problem, but yesterday night, similar happened. everyday she get 1-2 times till now, she was under too much pain. The pain stays for 10-15 min only after that she is alright ? can you please suggest me, shall i go for any further test like Urine culture/ sonography ? do i need to worry about anything ?

Hello Poonamvora, I can't really offer a specific diagnosis on a forum like this, without evaluating your child. I suggest you get back in touch with the doctor to see what the next steps ought to be.

Best of luck-

My 6 year old is experiencing very similar stomach ache issues. She is fine one minute and playing then starts complaining of a stomach ache. She is going to the bathroom constantly with small poops which have now turned into small diarrhea poops. Our doctor has been very passive with this issue and we are awaiting a stool sample results to rule out a parasite. Could it be constipation even though she is going to the bathroom so many times a day?

Adam

Hello Dr. Benaroch,

I also have a 6 yr. old daughter who has the same problem, we have taken her to see the ped. and had tests ran, xrays and labs, they gave us a stool softener but the problem persists.

It seems she only has her stomach aches in the morning before school and during dinner time, we think it might be physicological and have told her about the boy who cried wolf, she insists that her tummy does hurt and we are at a loss of what to do.

Fatheroftwingirls, the pain may have psychological roots-- it may be related to stress, or worry-- but that doesn't mean it's not real.

Many adults get abdominal pain when they're stressed. Sometimes it's called gas, or "irritable bowel", but whatever it is it gets worse with stress. The pain, even if related to stress, is "real", because it hurts. Telling her it doesn't hurt is unlikely to help her feel better.

More: http://pediatricinsider.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/that-belly-ache-isn%E2%80%99t-all-in-your-head/

If you've kept a good log, and you know that the pain is pretty much only at the same times each day, that really should help reassure you and the pediatrician that there is unlikely to be a serious medical problem, so you don't need more tests and invasive procedures. Instead, work with your ped or a ped GI on strategies to help her feel better. These will include ways to reduce stress, developing new ways to deal with stress, making sure that diet/sleep/exercise habits are good, and perhaps using a medicine or other strategies to soothe the gut.

Best of luck!

My 5 yr old son has had stomach pain for 8 days now, it started last Saturday night and he had diarhhea once when it started and did not have it again. I have been to three different doctors and the last was our pediatrician, no vomiting no fever. They did blood work and xrays and said all was clear not impacted. But yet he still has the stomach pain and it's worse at night and we are up multiple times in the middle of the night started mirilax and probiotic ... Any advice would be appreciated or any suggestions on what this could be??