Stomach soothers MDs swear by
When your child has a bellyache, you want to help her feel better fast. So we asked top doctors for the strategies they turn to when their own children complain of tummy troubles. Here, their top natural remedies for any belly woe
For constipation
A foot rub
“My daughter used to suffer from constipation—a lot,” says mother-of-two Kyrin Dunston, M.D., a functional medicine physician in Atlanta. In addition to the standard “eat more fiber” treatment, Dr. Dunston turned to reflexology, an ancient healing method based on the idea that reflex points in the feet correspond to certain organs, and that applying pressure to these points can soothe a variety of symptoms. “I knew she needed it when I went to touch her feet and found them to be especially tense and tender—a common sign of constipation,” says Dr. Dunston. She’d have her daughter get comfy while she applied gentle pressure just under the ball of the foot, where the arch begins. “According to reflexology, this area corresponds to the GI tract,” Dr. Dunston explains. “Massaging both feet for 10 minutes helped the most. My daughter felt better the next morning.”
For post-meal pains
A little bit of heat
“My youngest son has a very sensitive stomach and gets horrible belly pains from certain foods, especially pizza and pasta. The obvious solution is to avoid pizza and pasta— but you try telling your child that!” says Sherry A. Ross, M.D., an ob-gyn and a mother of three in Santa Monica, California. To help with the food aftermath, Dr. Ross grabs a hot water bottle. “My dad used it on me when I was a kid and now I routinely give my son a hot water bottle to place on his stomach,” she says. “The warmth relaxes muscles and turns off pain receptors, and the slight but constant pressure of the bottle further helps relieve pain and discomfort.”
For stress belly
A sip and a snack
“When my kids have to deal with an unexpected change in their schedule, they’ve been known to get a bellyache,” says mother-of-two Cynthia Bailey, M.D., president and CEO of Advanced Skin Care & Dermatology in Sepastopol, California. “My go-to is ginger and rice cakes.” Why it works: Ginger promotes the secretion of digestive juices that help neutralize stomach acid. Plus, it contains phenols— compounds that relax stomach muscles. “While fresh ginger is most effective, I use whatever is on hand, like candied ginger or ginger tea,” says Dr. Bailey. “And rice cakes are starchy and bland, so the kids can put something in their tummy without causing further upset. The trick is to take little nibbles or little sips and keep doing it every few minutes, but not to get a full belly.”