Stomach ache or schoolache? It is the dilemma that the majority of parents are forced to face when faced with their children who complain of abdominal pain before going to school or who are even called on the telephone by teachers due to discomfort in class. Between the ages of 4 and 18, the symptom is experienced by 3 out of 10 Italians of school age: they present frequent pain, without an obvious cause, in the navel area which can be accompanied by headaches, pain in the limbs and stomach disorders. sleep. It's not always easy for parents. But there are some elements that can guide mothers and fathers.
“If the stomach ache is recurrent and intermittent, not continuous and does not tend to increase, it generally falls within the functional gastrointestinal disorder”, explains to Adnkronos Salute the president of the Italian Society of Paediatrics (Sip), Annamaria Staiano, on the sidelines of the presentation, today in Rome, of the European campaign on 'functional abdominal pain', promoted by the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (Espghan), carried out in Italy by Sip and the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (Sigenp).
“The frequency of these disorders – he continues – is at least four episodes in the last 2 months. What is important to verify is the intermittency: the child shows pain which, even if it is strong, goes away on its own”. The mistake that parents and teachers often make is to keep them at home, not send them to school. “But it is more correct for these children – he adds – to continue their normal lives. The important thing is to reassure them. It is useful, for example, by comforting them, to take them to school on foot, or in any case to take a short walk to get there. It has been shown that children who are reassured do better than those who are not comforted.” In any case, “it is important to contact the paediatrician, who can explain to parents well how to behave and in which cases they really need to be alert. We must not belittle functional pain, even if it has no organic cause. Because very often the extent of this pain is even greater than organic pain.”
The child (or young person) “really has real suffering, due to a greater level of anxiety or other problems (visceral hypersensitivity)”, underlines Staiano, explaining that the parents' concern makes sense if the pain “is continuous, accompanied by fever or it is nocturnal, because functional pain rarely wakes the child at night.” Fever, vomiting, weight loss, presence of blood in the stool, diarrhea are the signs that justify concern. Functional abdominal pain, on the other hand, can also be intense, but is not dangerous and resolves over time.
But how can we help children in these cases? “Children and young people who suffer from functional abdominal pain – explain paediatricians – often feel sadness and disappointment at the loss of activities, school and time with friends and this can cause them to face the pain with negativity. Help them maintain an attitude positive can make a huge difference. Encourage them to continue normal activities, such as going to school, playing sports and spending time with friends and family.”
Activities, in general, “can distract them from pain and relieve symptoms, while exercise can improve intestinal transit and stress levels.” It is also important to sleep well. “Poor quality sleep can make symptoms worse.” In these cases “it is useful to improve sleep patterns. A balanced diet and correct hydration help to promote the health of the digestive system and improve well-being. Any changes in diet should always be discussed with the paediatrician”.
Functional abdominal pain “can be caused by stress and even provoke it. Talking to your child or teenager about the factors that may be causing them stress and developing strategies to manage them could be helpful, as well as reassuring them that the pain does not have a serious cause and it is temporary. If the child (or young person) suffers from a mental disorder, such as anxiety or depression, it is important to seek help by contacting a psychologist.”
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