Recurrent abdominal pain or nonspecific abdominal pain It is of etiology or unknown origin. It is a pain located in the abdomen, of sufficient intensity to interrupt the activity of the child and that has occurred at least three times in the last three months, in children older than 4 years.
Recurrent abdominal pain affects the body ten and fifteen percent of the population (Similar figures will not go to the doctor for this) and may be accompanied by pallor, vomiting, headache, flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, fever and followed by drowsiness.
The American Association of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) tells us that we must be attentive to children who complain of stomach ache for more than three monthsWell, it could be this disorder.
Although the difficulty of its diagnosis and considering that the pains are “non-existent” because they do not find an organic cause, they sometimes cause this pain to be considered as the “invention” of the children, which makes recovery difficult.
In Babies and more Baby's tummy ache: what can we do?Precisely the term "functional" refers to the fact that even after numerous tests to find the correct diagnosis (urine, blood and stool tests ...) no clear organic explanation for pain is found, since there is no obstruction, irritation or possible infection that may cause discomfort.
Even so, the pain is so real that it can prevent the child from developing normal activity, although fortunately they maintain good general health and do not affect their growth.
Although the most frequent ages for DAR are 5 to 10 years, cases of up to 3 years to 16 have been describedThe term "DAR" was coined by Apley in 1958 to define that episode of abdominal pain that is able to alter the normal life of the child and that, as we have indicated, it is presented for a minimum of three times in a period of three months.
Nonspecific causes of functional abdominal pain
Despite multiple studies of various disciplines (neurophysiology, neurosychology, neuropharmacology, intestinal motility study techniques), there is no single explanation that clarifies the fundamental nature of DAR. We could say that various stimuli dependent on physical and / or psychosocial stress determine an alteration of intestinal motor activity, which causes discomfort in the child.
There is often a history of a situation of psychosocial stress or emotional conflicts at the time the episodes of pain begin (serious illness of the parents, death of a family member, separation, school problems, change of place of residence ...).
In Babies and more Symptoms of gastroenteritis in children The digestive system has a complicated system of nerves and muscles that help move and process food for digestion, and it is likely that in some children the nerves become too sensitive and pain occurs in the process.
Sometimes the intestinal nerves may become more sensitive due to an infection caused by viruses or bacteria, stressful situations or simply fatigue. Other family members may have a similar problem.
Characteristics and treatment of abdominal pain
The pain occurs preferably during the day, in an episodic form, remaining for a period of minutes or hours with intermediate asymptomatic periods. The location is usually periumbilical (around the navel) and rarely extends. The more the pain moves away from the umbilical region, the more likely it is to find an organic cause.
If it is defined that the child suffers from functional abdominal pain, it is important to prevent the pain from becoming a reason for the child to miss school or change their habits. We can be calm in the sense that there is no serious problem, and being positive about it could help the child's improvement. We already saw that even imagination could calm their pain.
The specialist may decide to use medication in the case of functional pain, such as muscle relaxants, antacids or fiber supplements, which may be useful in some children.
Other factors that may help would be the modification of the diet although, for the rest, what will most reduce the pain is to continue living as normal a life as possible and spend the episodes of recurrent abdominal pain with the greatest possible peace of mind.
