Pediatric Stomach Pain Care in Corpus Christi

What Is Evaluated During Pediatric Stomach Pain Care at Corpus Christi DFWPMA?

A pediatric stomach pain evaluation at DFW Physicians Medical Associates in Corpus Christi involves reviewing your child’s symptoms, medical history, eating habits, bowel movements, and physical examination findings to help identify possible causes of abdominal discomfort. 

Dr. Krishnan considers your child’s age, the location and severity of the pain, associated symptoms, and whether the discomfort is new, persistent, or recurring. Depending on the findings, she may recommend treatment, further diagnostic testing, follow-up care, or referral to a pediatric specialist.

Depending on your child’s symptoms and medical needs, a stomach pain evaluation may include:

• Abdominal Pain Assessment: Review where your child feels pain, when it started, how frequently it occurs, how severe it is, and whether it changes after eating, passing stool, or participating in daily activities.
• Physical Abdominal Examination: Examine the abdomen for tenderness, swelling, abnormal firmness, and other findings that may indicate constipation, infection, or a condition requiring urgent medical evaluation.
• Constipation and Bowel Movement Assessment: Discuss stool frequency, consistency, painful bowel movements, straining, stool withholding, and other symptoms that may suggest constipation or altered bowel habits.
• Vomiting and Diarrhea Evaluation: Review the frequency, duration, and characteristics of vomiting or diarrhea, along with associated symptoms that may indicate gastrointestinal infection, dehydration, or another digestive condition.
• Feeding and Nutrition Assessment: Evaluate breastfeeding or formula-feeding concerns in infants and review eating patterns, appetite changes, dietary habits, and possible food-related symptoms in older children and teenagers.
• Bloating, Gas, and Digestive Discomfort: Assess abdominal bloating, excessive gas, discomfort after meals, and other symptoms that may be associated with constipation, dietary factors, or gastrointestinal conditions.
• Hydration and Weight Assessment: Review fluid intake, urination, recent weight changes, and growth patterns to identify possible dehydration, inadequate nutrition, or health concerns associated with persistent digestive symptoms.
• Infection and Inflammation Assessment: Evaluate fever, abdominal tenderness, urinary symptoms, and other clinical findings that may suggest gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections, appendicitis, or inflammatory conditions.
• Recurring Stomach Pain Evaluation: Review repeated episodes of abdominal pain, their relationship to meals, bowel movements, school activities, stress, or other patterns to help determine whether additional investigation is appropriate.
• Diagnostic Testing: When clinically indicated, Dr. Krishnan may recommend laboratory testing, urine testing, stool studies, or abdominal imaging to investigate possible causes of stomach pain. Testing may be arranged through an appropriate laboratory or medical facility.
• Specialist Referrals and Coordinated Care: If symptoms or examination findings suggest a condition requiring specialized attention, Dr. Krishnan can help coordinate referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist or another appropriate specialist. Suspected surgical emergencies require immediate emergency evaluation.
• Treatment and Follow-Up Planning: Based on the evaluation, Dr. Krishnan can recommend appropriate treatment, dietary or bowel habit guidance, symptom monitoring, and follow-up appointments to assess your child’s progress.

The causes of stomach pain differ by age. Newborns and infants may show discomfort through persistent crying, feeding changes, vomiting, or unusual bowel movements, while older children and teenagers can often describe the location and severity of their pain. The evaluation is tailored to your child’s developmental stage, symptoms, and medical needs.