Gastrointestinal growing pains

As many people know, the gastrointestinal tract is a very important part of the human body structure. People's daily diet and absorption of various nutrients are mainly achieved through the stomach and intestines. However, for some children in the developmental stage, a disease called gastrointestinal growing pains will occur. It is a painful condition mainly caused by the child's rapid growth and insufficient blood supply. When this happens, it has a certain impact on the child's body. So what measures should be taken to treat such problems?

I. Definition

Gastrointestinal growing pains occur because children in a period of rapid growth and development not only have rapidly growing bones, but their internal organs, the gastrointestinal tract, are also growing synchronously. Their blood supply is relatively insufficient (especially in children whose height growth is relatively fast). In addition, the autonomic nervous function of young children is unstable, which leads to spasmodic contraction of the gastrointestinal smooth muscle due to poor blood circulation, followed by paroxysmal pain.

2. Symptoms

It is characterized by repeated attacks. Each pain is short, generally not exceeding 10 minutes. The number of pain attacks varies from person to person, some several times a day, some several times an hour. The pain is mainly located around the navel, followed by the upper abdomen. The pain is irregular and the degree varies, ranging from abdominal discomfort to cramp-like pain, accompanied by a bluish or pale face, unbearable pain, and even nausea and vomiting. A "gurgling" sound can be heard in the stomach. Usually, the pain is relieved quickly, and the child's spirit, diet and play return to normal after the pain is relieved.

3. Features

(1) More common in children aged 4 to 8 years; (2) Abdominal pain may recur, occurring before or after sleep at night, and may also occur when the child is hungry; (3) Abdominal pain is mainly located around the navel, but may also occur in other parts of the abdomen. The pain is spasmodic and lasts for 5 to 15 minutes, with normal symptoms during the intervals between pains; (4) Abdominal tenderness is often in the middle abdomen or is not fixed; (5) Blood, urine, stool and liver function tests are normal; (6) It can often be relieved slowly without treatment; (7) In general, it may be misunderstood by some inexperienced doctors as acute or chronic appendicitis.

IV. Treatment

Gastrointestinal growing pains in children are a normal physiological phenomenon and generally do not require treatment. When you feel pain, place a hot water bag on your abdomen, massage the Zusanli acupoint, or gently massage your abdomen clockwise to relieve or reduce the pain. If the abdominal pain lasts for a long time and presents as colic, you can take antispasmodics and analgesics under the guidance of a pediatrician.