Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
School-Related Stomachaches | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My daughter has started to get sick at school more often. She claims that it is gas and she is embarrassed. She is a little heavier than other girls in her class and said that one boy called her a name, so there is also that stress. Should I take her to the doctor to have her checked out? She seems fine when she is at home.— What to Do Mom | | | ANSWER |
June 12, 2001 | | | Dear What to Do Mom,
Many children experience stress as a physical symptom, most commonly headaches and stomachaches. If these symptoms are severe enough that the child stays home from school, doctors call this "school avoidance" or sometimes "school phobia". If this happens more than very occasionally, it's wise to work together with a doctor who can provide firm reassurance that the child is physically OK. Most important, the child must go back to school so that school avoidance does not become a way of life.
For stress symptoms that are less severe, talk with your daughter and her teachers to try to figure out the sources of the stress and how you (together) can reduce the stress. Teasing by classmates is a very hard thing to stop, but you may be able to help your daughter cope with it more effectively.
Body-image problems are extremely common in school-age girls (in some studies, as many as 60 percent feel they are too heavy). If this is a source of great distress for your daughter, a few sessions with a child guidance professional--social worker, developmental specialist, psychologist, or therapist--early on may head off more severe problems later on.
Getting a thorough physical evaluation can provide reassurance for both you and your daughter--and, on occasion, can discover a medical issue such as constipation or even a urine infection that can cause abdominal discomfort.
In short, you might start both with a discussion and joint problem-solving, and with a visit to your child's healthcare provider.
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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