It is easy to recognize that your child is in pain and sad, but it is not so easy to read your child's signals and know what the problem actually is.

Signs that my baby may have a tummy ache:

It can sometimes be difficult to understand your baby's signals and as a parent you may feel powerless at times.

Infantile colic usually manifests itself as screaming attacks where the baby may become tense and even contract. The crying attacks often occur in the afternoon or evening and can last for several hours. The child often appears hungry and you can end up in a vicious circle where the child eats and eats and only gets more pain in the stomach because it does not get rest. You often hear that there is a "rumbling" in the stomach and that there is some gas which can also ease the problems.

The smaller child, under the age of two, has difficulty describing specific pain and you as a parent must then try to interpret the signals that the child gives. It may be that you see a reduced appetite, increased "whining", restless night sleep and that the child becomes tense and irritable.

The frequency, consistency and quantity of the poop can also be a sign of stomach problems. It is important not to miss the signs of constipation with hard and dry stools. Sometimes you may find that the baby is very loose in the tummy and there is a condition called 'constipation diarrhea', which occurs when there is stool in the intestines that does not come out and what is loose can pass.

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