COLIC — Stomach Ache in Children

With older children stomach cramps are usually due to bad eating habits or stress. Try to see if stress is the cause because children do sometimes have problems like teasing at school, which they find, difficult to talk about. (They get stomach-aches like adults get headaches.)

Babies
Babies often get intestinal cramps (colic), even just a few weeks after they are born. The tummy is then sensitive and swollen. A baby's natural reaction is to draw up the legs when it has stomach cramp.
The problem will tend to disappear by itself. Usually by the age of 3 months babies are less troubled with stomach cramps.
They generally occur from swallowing air which is not burped up. The baby can also get stomach cramps from other causes such as viral infections, making all the glands next to the intestines swell and become irritable.
Try to stay calm and avoid showing any anxiety to the child. The child can itself become anxious from its parents' or carers' behaviour. This starts off a vicious circle. Fever is not usually linked with stomach cramp. If the child does have a fever then something else is the matter and you should consult the doctor.

What you can do yourself

• Allow the child to rest and burp several times while feeding.
• If the mother is breast-feeding she should continue. Mother's milk is the best thing for a child's stomach.
• If you are using powdered milk make sure that the bottle's teat is not too big or too small. The food should dribble out quickly, not pour out, otherwise the child may choke and swallow too much air.
• Try massaging the child's tummy gently.
• Try carrying the child against your body. This gives a sense of security, makes burping easier and has a light massaging effect.
• Preparations to relieve the symptoms are available from pharmacies. Ask your pharmacist for advice about over the counter treatments.

Contact your doctor

• When the first (suspected) cramps start and they last longer than half an hour.
• If the child is screaming due to pain.
• If the child also has a fever.
• If you are worried about your child's stomach cramps and if you are wondering whether they are due to any illness.
• If the child is vomiting.

Always consult with your GP