Patient's question:
The child hasn't been eating dinner well recently. Sometimes they cover their stomach and say it hurts. After a thorough examination at the hospital, the doctor said it's called gastrointestinal growth pain. What are the symptoms of gastrointestinal growth pain?Doctor's answer:
Gastrointestinal growth pain is a normal physiological phenomenon, commonly observed in children aged 3-12 who are in their growth phase. Gastrointestinal growth pain can occur intermittently for a period of time, with each episode of pain being relatively short, generally not exceeding one minute. The frequency of pain recurrence varies among children, sometimes occurring once a day or even within an hour. The pain typically starts around the umbilical area, with upper abdominal pain being less common. The pain follows no regular pattern and the intensity varies, ranging from mild abdominal discomfort to severe colic. It can be seen that the children are in pain, appearing blue or pale, even with nausea and vomiting, and you can hear the sound of "gurgling" bowel movements. Generally, the pain can be quickly relieved, and after the pain subsides, the child's mental state, appetite, and play return to normal.