A: Stomach pain is one of the most common clinical problems we see in children ages 6 to 15. It is more common with girls than boys. We call it "recurrent abdominal pain" or RAP and it is a major cause of missed school days.

An occasional stomach pain generally is nothing to be concerned about. When adults are stressed, we often get headaches. When children are stressed, they get stomach aches. But if your child has complained of stomach aches two to three times a week for several weeks, the child should be seen by a physician.

Most of the time when we see children with recurrent abdominal pain, we find no medical reason for the pain. We then start looking at things in the child's life that might be causing stress and try to adjust those. Studies have shown that 20-30 percent of children with recurrent abdominal pain grow up to have irritable bowel syndrome.

If your child's stomach ache is accompanied by vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, or the child wakes in the night with stomach pain, you should schedule a doctor visit right away. Or if the child is younger than 6, immediate attention is appropriate.

By Fayez K. Ghishan, M.D., director of the Children's Research Center
at The University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Back to Questions