On the other hand, a child who reports vague belly pain all over the belly, without any of the symptoms above, can usually wait a day or two before going to the doctor. In the meantime, the pain usually gets better on its own. It's important to note that these guidelines apply to children who can talk. To be on the safe side, you should contact your doctor right away if your child is preverbal and cries whenever you touch his or her belly. Finding a Cause Is Difficult Up to 15 percent of school-aged children experience RAP, says an April 1989 study from the Journal of Consult Clinical Psychology .
RAP is defined as episodic attacks of abdominal pain over a period of at least three months.
When doctors first see a child with RAP, they usually take a careful history and perform a thorough physical exam. In most instances, the history and physical reveal enough information to identify anything serious that could be going on inside the child's belly. Rarely are laboratory tests needed. Only about 10 percent of children with RAP end up having an identifiable problem, according to a July 1990 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Many parents walk away from the doctor's office feeling disappointed that the doctor did not make a definitive diagnosis.