Mom Seeking Advice on Stomach Issues in a 4 Year Old

I, as a child had terrible stomach problems. Sometimes it would hurt terribly and then other times be ok. My parents tried everything just short of having me scoped at 6 yr old for ulcers. They actually had the appointment scheduled. Then someone suggested me seeing a chiropractor, so they did and the pain dissapeared after one adjustment. I still remember to this day at 6yr old (I'm 35 now) sitting on the table after the adjustment and the pain letting up for the first time I could ever remember. I had to keep going for a while to get my back in order again since it had been out for so long it would throw itself out when playing or moving wierd. To this day I have one area in my back, right in the middle close to where your bra latches, that if the verterbrae goes out it sends my stomach into terrible spasams as if I have the worst flu. Adjust it and it is gone. Good luck to you and your daughter. I know how frustrating it is. I hope you find your answer soon.

My 7 year old at about 4 or 5 went through this thing where when she ate she said her stomach hurt. It was wild as I could hear her stomach growling only minutes after she had ate a whole meal. I talked to the Dr and we finally figured out she was eating too fast. It was also due to stress believe it or not.
It wasn't consistent with any foods, wasn't specific at times. It was very real to her, but we too went to the Dr and found nothing. She has no allergies to foods and sometimes there were days it wasn't a factor. Start a journal about when it is hurting, after meals? A specific time of day? Keep track of when and where it is happening. With my daughter it seemed after dinner, I kept track of what she ate, changed certain things, but it was never narrowed down to any certain thing.
If your daughter is going through any changes, new school, new friends, any family changes or anything we think may be small can cause upset in children. With my daughter it was worry that was actually causing her stomach issues. It appeared in the evenings as she was too busy during the day to worry then at night her worries came into play. Once we learned how to talk to each other about worries, a recent divorce, new school and so on, it helped tremendously. Even now she can eat too fast and gets stomach bubbles and get that feeling her stomach hurts. I can say now we have gone almost 8 mos without a complaint about stomach pain though.

If you don't think this is what it is, take her in for a second opinion, one Dr doesn't have all the answers and I am a firm believer you know her best and there is noting wrong with questioning professionals and getting the right answer.

I would also look into food allergies or sensitivities. Sometimes a person can't handle a food well but it won't show up on an allergy test. My (negative allergy tested) nursing 6-month-old is dairy intolerant and if I eat any of it he has terrible tummy aches that keep him up at night. As long as I steer clear of all dairy, he's just fine.

You might try keeping a food diary to see if you can connect it to a certain food or drink, or find some other common link between stomach aches.

If you decide to try eliminating some foods to see if it helps (eliminate a food for at least a couple of weeks and then you can reintroduce it to see if symptoms come back... it'll probably be pretty obvious if they do) there are some very good lists at www.foodallergy.org. Just go to downloads and then "how to read a label" and it'll help you make sure you're avoiding ALL forms of the top 8 allergens.

Best of luck. I hope you can get some answers for your little one!

Poor baby.

I have a couple of suggestions for you, G..

First, I'd get her on a very high quality probiotic right away and keep her on it (NOT something dairy based, like yogurt or Good Belly).

Second, have her checked for gluten intolerance AND celiac disease. Both can show up as very painful belly aches. I belive both can be screened for in a blood test.

And last, have her checked for lactose intolerance and dairy allergies. Again, both can present with stomach pain.

Good luck and good for you for listening to your daughter and your instincts!

Blessings,

M.

It could be allergies to food or even celiac disease. Is it associated with certain foods? How long after she eats? Remember we digest some foods faster than others. Just a thought.

Have you ruled out food allergies? I know my husband and my daughter are both soy intolerant and get terrible stomach aches anytime they eat even a little soy. Once we cut this out of their diet, the stomach aches subsided. I know lactose and gluten can have similar effects. Good luck and don't let what others say get to you; just take good care of your little one!

My daughter was having tummy trouble this summer.We couldn't figure out what was going on. We realized that she was stressed out about starting kindergarten. It really never occured to me that something as "silly" as starting kindergarten could cause such discomfort. Have you been through any changes recently? After talking to my daughter and easing her worries she really hasn't complained at all. I hope this helps!