Kids normally suffer from stomach aches from time to time. The reasons behind these stomach aches can vary from something as simple as indigestion, constipation, allergies to certain food and drugs, to something as severe as worm infection, chronic stomachache, and gastroenteritis. If the pain or the stomach ache subsides within two to three hours, then there is no cause for concern. However, if the pain persists beyond three hours, and tends to get worse with each passing hour, or is accompanied with vomiting, severe stomach cramps, or loose motions, you will need to consult your local physician immediately. At the same time, you can try and provide some comfort to the child by using some of the following remedies. Get your child to lie down in bed and rest. Take a heating pad or a warm water bottle and place it on your child’s stomach for 15-20 minutes or till the pain subsides to a certain extent. Make your child sip water from time to time, preferably warm water as this will help to ease the stomach ache. Take around 20-30 carom seeds, put them in a glass of water and boil this water till it turns slightly yellow. The change in color indicates that the juice of the seeds is now part of the water. Once the water is lukewarm, make sure that your child keeps sipping it at regular intervals till it is over.
If your child likes drinking tea, add a few drops of lemon juice, a small piece of crushed ginger, a few mint leaves, and no milk to this tea. Get your child to drink this tea while it is still warm. Lemon, ginger, and mint all help in the digestive process and work wonders in easing the pain. If tea is not a favored drink, add the lemon, ginger, and mint juices to plain but warm water, and add a pinch of black salt to this mixture. This will provide immediate relief from the pain by relaxing the stomach muscles and releasing the gas, if any. If your child is averse to drinking ginger juice, massage it gently on the stomach, this too will help in easing the pain. Feed your child easily digestible food such as yogurt and plain rice, chicken broth, and fruits such as sweet lemon, oranges, and apples. Keep processed and spicy food as far away from your child as possible.