Gastritis is a simple and uncomplicated enough disease that children can get. However, it is good for you to be aware that gastritis usually gets misdiagnosed in children so small. Usually, complaints of a stomach ache are ignored, and by the time they get taken seriously enough for the child to be taken to a doctor, gastritis may very well have set in. Considering that children generally do not pay much attention to such things as their diet and hygiene, it is not at all improbable for your child to have contracted this disease. If you are still not sure, then you should first request your doctor to run the required series of tests that are required to confirm or deny this diagnosis. These would also normally include a fecal sample given for testing. Usually, gastritis is an irritation of the stomach lining and it may be caused due to the presence of a living bacteria. It is normally found in the thick lining of the stomach and can cause all the symptoms usually associated with gastritis. If left alone, this can reside there for several years and act up every now and then. However, the best thing to do is to treat it and allow the stomach to clean up really well. Once it is out of the body, you may not be plagued with repeated bouts of the disease.
Basically, once there is what is known as an injury to the stomach, inflammation and a resultant irritation occurs. Since children really do not know how to express accurately what they are feeling, it is important for the parent or caregiver to keep a close watch. Your child may be eating irregularly, complaining of his stomach feeling “hot”, feeling better after eating or drinking milk, claiming that the stomach “burns” and enjoying cold things. In severe cases, all of these symptoms could also be accompanied with vomiting and nausea. If these symptoms sound familiar, you should not at all delay getting your child accurately diagnosed and taken care of at the earliest opportunity. Please do remember that these symptoms are not a daily occurrence. There may be days when the child may be feeling and behaving completely normal too. However, in no way does this indicate that the child is fine. Only medical tests can reveal that. You are advised to not delay getting the child to a doctor, and a gastritis pediatrician, if possible.