Children with colic: When to see a doctor?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Ha Long International General Hospital.
Colic in children occurs very often and has many different causes. However, symptoms of abdominal pain in children can be a sign of many dangerous diseases. In some cases, parents need to take their baby to a medical facility for an immediate examination.

1. Symptoms of abdominal pain in children

There are many causes of colic in children such as:
Bacterial infections, viruses, insect bites. Overeating, food allergies, food poisoning or toxins. Overdosing on drugs, especially due to the use of many antibiotics causes dysbacteriosis. Due to the pathology of the organs in the abdomen or nearby,...

Depending on the cause of the disease and the age of the child, the symptoms of abdominal pain will vary. If the child does not know how to speak, the child often cries constantly, with a grimace, in pain. Older children may complain to their parents about their colic. Sometimes, children are able to point out the location or area of ​​the abdomen that is painful, describing the nature of the pain, although not always accurately.

2. Abdominal pain in children can be a symptom of any dangerous disease?

Symptoms of abdominal pain in children can be a sign of many dangerous diseases requiring urgent intervention such as:
Acute appendicitis: Children with spontaneous abdominal pain localized in the right iliac fossa, accompanied by moderate and mild fever (38). degree C), digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting), pain accompanied by abdominal wall reaction when palpating the right iliac fossa. Acute intussusception : The child has abdominal pain with intermittent, intermittent pain; in each pain, crying, bending with vomiting, pale skin; sometimes vomit or pass stools with mucus and blood. The disease is common in children under 2 years of age. Testicular torsion in boys: The child has sudden testicular pain accompanied by an increase in testicular volume and is very painful when touched or touched. Ovarian cyst torsion in girls: Children with abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting. Palpation shows a tumor in the pelvic-abdominal region. Strangulated inguinal hernia: The risk of strangulation is higher in neonates, premature babies. Abdominal epilepsy: Children have abdominal pain, sometimes severe pain, non-cyclical pain, sometimes pain, sometimes fever, sometimes related to neurological status. Bile duct worms: Children suddenly have severe abdominal pain with vomiting a lot, some children even vomit worms. Common in children 3-7 years old. Intestinal obstruction due to food residue: Children with abdominal pain are often accompanied by vomiting, constipation - defecation.

3. When does a child with colic need to see a doctor?

There are many causes of abdominal pain in children, not always needing the support of a doctor. However, parents should not be too subjective because sometimes, abdominal pain is also a sign of many dangerous diseases, requiring urgent intervention. Do not arbitrarily relieve pain with painkillers because it will overshadow the symptoms of the disease, making it difficult to diagnose the disease in time for intervention. Therefore, if the child has abdominal pain, it is necessary to closely monitor the child first.
Usually, the pain is transient and is usually in the mid-abdomen or around the navel. The child should be taken to the hospital if the pain is below the navel and tilts to the right side or the pain persists for more than 24 hours or the pain is severe because in this situation the abdominal pain may be caused by enteritis. redundancy or other serious problems.
Vomiting is one of the common accompanying symptoms. Take your child to the hospital if the vomiting lasts more than 24 hours or if the child vomits continuously, vomits everything after eating or drinking, the vomit is green or yellow, has bright red blood or clots .
Diarrhea is often accompanied by abdominal pain. Diarrhea may persist even after the abdominal pain has gone. Most cases of diarrhea are self-limited within 1 to 3 days. Children need to be taken to a health facility if they have too much bowel movements, they show signs of dehydration, fishy stools, blood in the stools.
Fever: The child may have a fever but it is not due to serious causes. On the contrary, sometimes a child may not have a fever at all, but his condition is very dangerous and requires immediate intervention.
In such situations, it is necessary to quickly bring the child to the medical center for examination. To determine the exact cause of abdominal pain in young children, the doctor may order a number of tests such as a complete blood count, stool test, ultrasound, X-ray, or maybe a CT scan of the abdomen, ...
Depending on the specific cause, the direction of treatment and treatment will be different. The child may be given medication, continued monitoring, or expedited surgery if necessary.
Symptoms of abdominal pain in children can be a sign of many dangerous diseases. Parents need to take the baby to a reputable medical facility for examination if the condition does not improve. Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the leading hospitals in the country in terms of examination, diagnosis and treatment of digestive, urinary and nutritional diseases, especially in infants and young children. With modern equipment, sterile space, minimizing the impact as well as the risk of disease spread. Along with that is the dedication from the doctors with professional experience with pediatric patients, making the examination no longer a concern of the parents.
Master. Doctor Ngo Thi Oanh has over 10 years working in the field of Pediatrics. Competently perform examination, diagnosis and treatment of respiratory, digestive, urological and nutritional diseases in children. During his work, Dr. Oanh regularly updates new knowledge on diagnosis and treatment through specialized conferences and continuous training classes.

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