Abdominal pain around the navel in children: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Pediatrician - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital. Former head of pediatrics department of 22.12 hospital and head of pediatrics department of Tam Tri Nha Trang hospital, he has many years of experience in pediatrics and neonatology, especially in pediatric respiratory diseases.
Symptoms of abdominal pain around the umbilicus in children can be a manifestation of digestive disorders or more serious diseases such as local blood clots, intussusception, appendicitis,...

1. Causes of abdominal pain in children

The following are common causes of abdominal pain around the umbilicus in children:
1.1 Gastritis, enteritis Gastritis, intestinal inflammation is an inflammation of the digestive tract caused by a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection. In addition to symptoms of abdominal pain around the navel, children with gastritis and intestinal inflammation also have symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, sweating, nausea or vomiting,...
Gastroenteritis caused by viral infections is common in In children, no medical treatment is usually needed because the symptoms will go away on their own within a few days. However, another complication of gastroenteritis is dehydration, which can affect the health of the child and requires special care.

1.2 Appendicitis Symptoms of abdominal pain below the umbilicus in children can also be a typical manifestation of appendicitis. Initially, the pain appeared only in the navel area, then gradually spread to the lower right abdomen. Other accompanying symptoms are usually bloating, fever, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, and pain that gets worse when the baby coughs or moves.

Appendicitis is a dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. If not treated quickly, your baby's appendix can rupture, causing potentially life-threatening complications for the child.
1.3 Stomach ulcers Stomach ulcers are caused by many causes, typically Helicobacter pylori infection or long-term use of drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin. Stomach ulcers often manifest as abdominal pain around the navel, pain can spread to the sternum, belching, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea or vomiting,...
When children have stomach ulcers, women You can consult your doctor about the most appropriate treatment such as using a proton pump inhibitor, a histamine receptor blocker or a protectant, eg sucralfate.
1.4 Intussusception Intussusception is a condition in which one segment of intestine moves into the lumen of another. Manifestations of intussusception are: abdominal pain, vomiting, pale skin, intermittent crying, vomiting green or yellow mucus, possibly bloody stools,...

Children with intussusception will be de-intubated by inflating the large intestine with moderate pressure under X-ray guidance until the intussusception is completely removed.
Intussusception is a condition that needs immediate emergency because if not treated in time, the two intestines will interlock deeper, causing the intussusception to swell, the blood vessels supplying the intestines are blocked, causing the intestines to become infected. sepsis , intestinal necrosis , intestinal perforation , ... After that , fluid and waste in the intestinal lumen will be dispersed into the abdominal cavity , causing bacteremia , severe infection...
1.5 Small bowel obstruction Obstruction Small bowel is a condition in which part or all of a child's small intestine becomes blocked. This condition prevents food from reaching deep into the digestive tract and if left untreated, the disease can become serious, even life-threatening.
Common causes of small bowel obstruction in young children include: infection, tumor in the digestive tract, inflammatory bowel disease, scar tissue from previous abdominal surgery,...
In addition to abdominal pain symptoms around the navel intermittently in children, many children also have symptoms such as fever, increased heart rate, dehydration, loss of appetite, flatulence, nausea and vomiting, and severe constipation.

Intestinal decompression is a procedure that helps relieve pressure in the intestines done when needed.
1.6 Other causes Some other causes of abdominal pain around the navel in children include:
Acute pancreatitis : Usually caused by infection, using certain drugs. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis are severe pain around the navel, nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, etc. Children with mild pancreatitis are usually treated with rest, pain medication, intravenous fluids. circuit . In more severe cases, the baby must be hospitalized and follow the necessary treatments. Umbilical hernia: Abdominal tissue bulges through the navel. When suffering from this condition, the baby will have abdominal pain around the navel, swelling, ... In babies, most cases of umbilical hernia will heal on their own by the time the child is 2 years old. In others, the baby may be indicated for surgery to prevent the risk of bowel obstruction. Aortic aneurysm: is a condition caused by weakening or bulging of the aortic wall, which is life-threatening because if the aorta bursts, blood will flow into the internal organs. When the aorta is enlarged, the child will have abdominal pain around the navel accompanied by unpleasant symptoms such as difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, low blood pressure, fainting, sudden weakness on one side of the body,... localized blood: This condition occurs when blood flow is interrupted, mainly by a blood clot or an embolism. If the child is ischemic, the baby will feel pain around the umbilicus, accompanied by symptoms such as increased heart rate, blood in the stool,... When suspected that the child has ischemia, parents should bring the baby to the hospital as soon as possible to be treated with surgery or medication.

2. What to do when the child has abdominal pain around the navel?

When a child has a stomachache, first parents need to reassure and comfort the baby to rest. In addition, parents need to closely monitor the child's health status to promptly detect abnormal symptoms such as fever, jaundice, severe abdominal pain, blood in the stool, swelling and pain in the lower abdomen, vomiting. The vomiting didn't stop, ... and took the baby to the hospital.
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