Is Abdominal pain - children under age 12 serious?

**Most abdominal pain in children under 12 is not serious and settles within a day or two, but a specific set of signs means your child should be seen the same day.**

The common causes are constipation, a stomach bug, gas, overeating, and ordinary viral illness, and children with these usually still play, drink, and settle between waves of pain. What changes the answer is how the pain behaves and what comes with it: steady pain that keeps getting worse, pain that shifts to the lower right side, green vomit, blood in the stool, a hard swollen belly, or pain after a blow to the abdomen. Age matters too, since any fever in a baby under 3 months and any belly pain in a very drowsy or floppy child needs prompt assessment. At home, keep fluids going in small frequent sips, track wet diapers or trips to the bathroom, and note whether stools have been regular, since constipation is behind a large share of repeat visits. Write down when the pain started, where it sits, and what makes it better or worse, because that history is what a clinician uses most.