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Anyone can suffer ‘tummy troubles’ at times. That includes children of pre-school age.

Here we’ll discuss some of the issues and their possible causes. As always, please remember that an early learning centre is not medically qualified to offer specific advice and if you have doubts about your child’s health you should consult a doctor without delay.

Children’s Tummy Troubles

Early learning centres and the various types of tummy troubles

Children’s problems in this area usually come under one of three general headings:

• the non-specific ‘belly-ache’;
• diarrhoea or as some children will call it – “a bloopy tummy”;
• constipation.

These conditions may arise at home or in a daycare centre.

Tummy ache

The digestive system of younger children is more or less developed by around 6 months but for some years after that it may be more vulnerable to odd grumbles than that of an adult.

Some of the reasons include:

• overeating;
• eating too much of what’s not good for them (sweeties etc.);
• insufficient exercise;
• stress;
• dehydration;
• a sudden exposure to food types they’ve not previously encountered, notably spicy food;
• wind;
• intentionally ‘holding their poo in” because they’re more interested in other things going on, such as games etc.

Where tummy aches arise during the day, experienced first-aid trained daycare centre staff quickly evaluate the problem. In the vast majority of cases, all that’s required is a little calm rest or possibly some encouragement to go to the loo!

Runny tummy

The toilet requirements of children may vary hugely from one to another – just as is the case in adults.
This means that the term ‘diarrhoea’ may mean different things to different people, depending upon who one is speaking to or about. So, generally, a child might be seen as having trouble in this area if:

• their poo is unusually runny or liquified plus they’re needing to go more frequently than usual;
• their poo is relatively normal in consistency but the frequency of them needing to go to the toilet increases considerably above their normal requirements.

There are many causes of this condition. Most are relatively minor and of short duration. Over-excitement, a mild tummy bug or eating unfamiliar foodstuffs might all be triggers. Sometimes a more serious underlying cause may be the reason but only a doctor can diagnose such.

Constipation

One of the commonest childhood complaints, constipation can be distressing for a child even though it may, to some extent, be self-inflicted at times.

The causes can be many and varied, including some of those mentioned above. It’s also possible that the causes are psychological, with some younger children being afraid of going to the toilet, resulting in them trying to ‘hold in’ for excessive periods.

A typical symptom of constipation is a child having a slightly strained-looking red face or fidgeting in their seat. Stomach ache and unusually odorous flatulence can also be tell-tale signs for parents and childcare centre professionals alike.

How childcare centres respond

Any of the conditions above may flare up during the typical childcare centre day. Should such happen, first-aid trained personnel will evaluate the child concerned.

Mild tummy aches

These are quite common, usually involve minor discomfort and are of short duration.

Intervention is not usually required other than monitoring and perhaps moving the child to a quiet area for a short period until it has passed. If the pain appeared more severe, was not resolving or if even mild pain was accompanied by other symptoms, the centre would follow their emergency contact procedures for parents.

Runny tummy

Where a child appeared to be needing the toilet a little more frequently than normal, again they would be evaluated
Assuming it was a one-off instance and the child was fine with no other symptoms, again a little time in a quiet environment might be all that’s required.

Should the problem be more significant and involve other symptoms, parents would be contacted immediately.

Constipation

This is often the hardest condition to spot as parents might assume the child has been to the toilet in the daycare centre and vice-versa.
Using the symptom indicators above though, parents and daycare centre personnel will usually quickly identify that a child is having some troubles.

Constipation often self-resolves though a correct diet and adequate hydration are often key. Should the problem persist for more than 2-3 days, even if there are no other symptoms or signs of discomfort, a consultation with a doctor is usually advisable.

Summary

Even where a problem is minor and passes without incident, an early learning centre’s personnel will always report it when parents collect their child.

The centre will always incline towards caution when assessing the condition and contact parents immediately if there is any suggestion of a more significant problem.

If you’d like to know more of our first-aid capabilities and contact procedures, why not call us for an appointment to come in for a visit?