What is abdominal pain like for my child?
Abdominal pain has many different characteristics. The pain may be acute (starting suddenly) or chronic (present for a period of weeks or months). It may be dull, sharp or crampy. Each type of pain and its location in the belly provides clues about the specific cause. That’s why it’s important to “know your child’s pain” as it can help in making a diagnosis. Write down the things that make your child’s pain worse or better, how long it lasts, other problems at the time of pain (vomiting, diarrhea). Keep a pain diary and bring it to your appointment. This will help your child’s health care provider figure out what’s going on.
