Common Causes of Stomach Pain in Children

Introduction

Most parents don’t panic the first time their child says their stomach hurts. But when it happens again and again, or at odd times like early mornings or bedtime, worry slowly creeps in. Children often struggle to explain pain properly. They may just say “tummy pain” even when the problem is digestion, food habits, or stress. That’s why stomach pain can feel confusing and unpredictable.

Stomach Pain in Children is usually not serious, but it is never meaningless. It often reflects what is happening inside the body or mind before any clear illness shows up.

How Stomach Pain Usually Shows Itself

Pain doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s quiet.

• Complaints of pain near the belly button
• Bloating or tightness after meals
• Reduced appetite
• Constipation or loose stools
• Nausea or vomiting once in a while
• Irritability or tiredness

In babies, stomach pain often appears as excessive crying, restlessness, or pulling the legs toward the stomach.

Why Stomach Pain Happens So Often

Before looking at age-wise reasons, it’s important to understand that a child’s stomach pain is usually an everyday issue. Children eat irregularly. They drink less water. They react strongly to stress. Their digestion is still developing. All of this makes the stomach sensitive.

Causes of Stomach Pain Based on Age

Infants (0–2 years)

At this stage, digestion is still immature. Gas is the most common cause of discomfort. Babies often swallow air while feeding, which leads to bloating. Some babies also struggle to digest certain milk or formula.
Common causes include:

• Gas and colic
• Difficulty digesting milk
• Mild constipation

Pain shows up as crying spells, feeding refusal, or restlessness.

Toddlers (2–5 years)

Toddlers eat what they like, when they like. This alone explains a lot of stomach pain.

At this age, pain is often linked to:

• Irregular meals and excessive snacking
• Low fiber and low water intake
• Constipation
• Worm infestations
• Mild stomach infections

Toilet training stress is another factor. Some children hold their stools out of fear, which increases abdominal pain and bloating.

School-Going Children (6–12 years)

This is where lifestyle and emotions start mixing with digestion. Many children eat more junk food and drink less water during school hours. This leads to gas, acidity, and constipation.

Other common triggers:

• Outside or packaged food
• Food poisoning
• Acidity and indigestion

Teenagers (13–18 years)

Teenagers don’t always follow the rules. Not eating meals, eating late at night, not getting enough sleep, and stress can all make digestion worse. If you have stomach pain at this age, it could be because of:

• Not eating regularly
• Acid reflux
• Stress from emotions
•  Changes in hormones
• For girls, menstrual pain and digestive discomfort may happen at the same time.

Preventing Stomach Pain in Daily Life

Following healthy habits every day makes it easier to avoid stomach pain.

• Eat your food at proper times with no late-night munching
• Eating fresh, balanced meals is good for your stomach.
• Drink 8 litres of water every day; if not, then drink enough water, which helps you to relieve constipation and many other stomach issues.
• Cutting back on junk food and fried food helps with acidity problems.
• Digestion is improved naturally by taking daily physical exercise.
• Emotional support greatly calms down stress-related stomach pain.

Home Remedies That Work Sometimes for Mild and Occasional Pain:

• Meals that are light and cooked at home
• Soups or warm water
• A gentle massage of the stomach to help with gas
• Getting enough sleep
• Foods high in fiber if you are constipated

Home remedies shouldn’t be the only thing you try if the pain keeps coming back.

When Parents Should Not Wait

Medical advice is important if:

• Pain lasts more than a few days
• Pain keeps returning
• Vomiting, diarrhoea, or fever appear
• Pain disturbs sleep
• Blood is seen in stool or vomit
• Appetite or growth is affected

About Dr. Sushil Kumar Jain

Dr. Sushil Kumar Jain is a Gastro Doctor in Jaipur with a special interest in digestive and liver disease. He adopts an approach to recurrent stomach ache in children caused by acidity, constipation, infections, or food intolerance, and diarrhoea and its associated problems. His skills also extend to gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, hepatopathies, liver disease, and many more. All of these he treats in a calm manner while paying attention to detail and providing long-term care.

Conclusion

Children don’t complain without a reason. Stomach Pain in Children is often the body’s early signal that something needs attention—sometimes food, sometimes routine, sometimes emotions. With observation, healthy habits, timely home care, and medical guidance with Dr. Sushil Kumar Jain, most stomach problems can be handled early and gently.