Travel Anxiety or Mummy Tummy?

What to do when your child has a tummy ache, from FTF's MD.

Parents should be aware of a few other causes of abdominal pain that may require medical evaluation. Strep throat, pneumonia, urinary infection, ulcer disease and the early stages of appendicitis can all look like simple stomachaches. A good rule of thumb is that if your child’s complaints of stomach pain are not assuaged by the usual comforts, especially in the presence of vomiting, diarrhea or fever, seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Travelers who experience a change of diet may succumb to Mummy Tummy, the Runs, Delhi Belly, Turista — all names for what is usually a brief bout of ‘traveler’s diarrhea.’ In countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Peru, Thailand, China, India, or Nepal, diarrhea may be the result of bacterial and parasitic illnesses, such as shigella and giardia, that require treatment. Intestinal infections, both viral and especially bacterial, can also cause excessive stomach pain, vomiting and possibly fever. The traveler’s first line of defense is caution: don’t drink tap water, stick to bottled carbonated beverages; never eat raw fruits and vegetables unless they can be peeled, such as papaya. If symptoms of infection occur, dehydration often follows. The child should be seen by a physician immediately for possible medical treatment.