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7 Ways To Ease A Child's Tummy Ache

3 November 2015

Edward Payne

Whether it is due to the flu or eating something bad, a tummy ache is quite common among children. It can be a sharp or dull pain and affect the child's eating and bowel habits. When your child comes up to you and complains that his belly hurts, you want to do everything you can to make the pain go away. Luckily, it is possible to cure your child's stomach pain at home. Here are seven effective ways to ease a child's tummy ache:

Try Ginger

Ginger is one of the best things you can give your child when he has a stomach ache. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginger contains volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds and can treat an upset stomach. Although you can give your little one ginger ale, it is better to serve fresh ginger tea because it is much healthier.

Grab Some Peppermint

Peppermint is also effective at relieving a child's tummy ache. It can increase the flow of bile, helping digestion. While peppermint tea is best for easing stomach pain, some children may not want to drink it. If this is the case with your child, give him a piece of peppermint candy to suck on.

Feed Bland Foods

Does your child still have an appetite? If so, you have to be careful about what you feed him. Giving him food that is too heavy or spicy will upset his tummy even more. It is better to serve bland foods, such as rice, toast and oatmeal. These foods will keep your child feel full and are easy on the stomach.

Give Your Child a Foot Rub

Another good way you can ease your child's tummy ache is to give him a foot rub. Rubbing the nerves in feet can relax many parts of the body, including the stomach. Have your child lie down on a bed, put his foot in your hand and apply firm pressure under the ball of his foot with your thumb. Do the same thing on the other foot. If you massage your child's feet for 10 to 15 minutes, his stomach should feel a lot better.

Serve Yogurt

Yogurt contains good bacteria, so it is a good food to feed a child with a tummy ache. Feeding your child yogurt will help improve digestion, decreasing his stomach pain. It is best to give your child plain yogurt that does not contain any added sugars.

Apply Heat

Heat is known for improving blood circulation to the skin, helping relieve pain. As your child is lying down on the bed, hold a heating pad on his stomach for about 20 minutes. If you do not have a heating pad, try dipping a washrag in warm water and using it on your child's tummy.

Try Chamomile Tea

If your little one is not fussy about drinking tea, try giving him some chamomile tea. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can help relax the muscles in the stomach. Let the chamomile tea bag steep in your boiling water for about 10 minutes before you serve it to your child.

As you can see, there are quite a few things you can do at home to help your child's stomach pain go away. Do not hesitate to try all of these remedies. However, if your child's stomach ache does not go away after a few days or he develops a fever, you should definitely take him to a pediatrician right away. A pediatrician at a clinic like Entira Family Clinics can determine if an underlying condition, such as Crohn's disease, is causing your child's stomach pain or not.

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