If your child is experiencing tummy pain every day, you’re probably asking if there is something seriously wrong? However, most children with recurring abdominal pain do not have a serious underlying disease, but pain still deserves attention.
That’s why booking an appointment with your paediatrician can assess whether it’s coming from the gut, another part of the body, or a mix of physical and emotional factors.
It doesn’t always mean your child isn’t going to the toilet. Signs include:
Children can get caught in a cycle: passing a hard stool hurts, so they hold on, which makes it worse. Frequency alone doesn’t tell the whole story.
Sometimes a child’s tummy genuinely hurts even though investigations find no specific disease. “Functional” does not mean imaginary, stress, anxiety, school changes, family difficulties and poor sleep can all affect how the nervous system processes sensations from the gut. Treatment focuses on returning to normal activities while addressing what’s contributing.
Children don’t always say, “I’m anxious.” Instead, it may present as:
Pain often shows up before school, tests or sporting events. It’s real, emotional and physical symptoms reinforce each other. Our Behavioural Difficulties service can help identify what’s contributing.
Possibilities may include:
Food intolerance is often blamed too quickly, removing foods without guidance can cause deficiencies and worsen feeding difficulties. If mealtimes are a struggle, our Feeding Difficulties service can help.
A UTI can sometimes present mainly as abdominal pain. Look for:
Some children experience abdominal migraine: episodes of significant pain with well periods in between, sometimes with:
A paediatrician may also consider:
These are far less common than constipation or functional pain, but matter more when warning signs are present, this is where our Paediatric Chronic Conditions service comes in.
The pattern matters more than how much it hurts. Your paediatrician may ask:
Most children won’t need a large number of tests. Blood, urine, stool tests or imaging are considered when the history or examination points to a specific cause, not as a routine step for every child.
Arrange an assessment if pain is associated with:
These don’t necessarily mean something serious is wrong, but warrant a closer look.
When is it an emergency? Seek urgent care for severe or rapidly worsening pain, a very unwell, pale or lethargic child, persistent or green vomiting, blood in the stool, abdominal swelling, or severe pain with movement. Abdominal pain with testicular pain in a boy also needs urgent review, as torsion can present this way.
A simple diary for one or two weeks can help. Record:
Tummy pain is real, even without a structural problem. The aim isn’t to order every test, it’s to understand the pattern, examine your child carefully, look for warning signs, and decide whether investigation is needed. For many children, addressing constipation, sleep, diet or anxiety makes a real difference.
Take-home message. If your child has frequent tummy pain, ask:
The goal isn’t just to make the pain disappear, it’s to understand why, and help your child get back to eating, sleeping, learning and enjoying life normally. Contact us if you are still wanting clarity on your child’s health, we can make a thorough assessment to see if something more is going on.
