Q: Could my child have an ulcer?

Ask Our Expert About Children's Ulcers

About Our Expert

Naser Tolaymat, M.D. is a
pediatric gastroenterologist at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

• Q: My son seems to get painful stomachaches fairly often. Could he have an ulcer?
• Q: What causes ulcers? Is stress a factor?
• Q: How are ulcers diagnosed?
• Q: What is the treatment for ulcers?
• Q: Will my child need to avoid certain foods after the ulcer has cleared up?

Q: My son seems to get painful stomachaches fairly often. Could he have an ulcer?

A: Ulcers (open sores in the stomach lining) occur rarely in children. Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) is much more common. If your son has recurring sharp or burning abdominal pain between meals, has bloody bowel movements or vomits blood, call a pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist.

Q: What causes ulcers? Is stress a factor?

A: People used to think the cause was stress, but research has shown that most ulcers are the result of infection by the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium. It weakens the stomach’s protective mucus layer and makes it more susceptible to damage by normal stomach acid.

Q: How are ulcers diagnosed?

A: Your child’s physician may perform an endoscopy, a procedure that uses a small, flexible tube (inserted through the mouth) equipped with a tiny camera. Images from the camera, projected onto a monitor, allow the doctor to see any ulcerous lesion, and tissue biopsy obtained during the procedure will confirm the diagnosis. Your child will be given a sedative before the procedure.

Q: What is the treatment for ulcers?

A: Usually, treatment consists of two types of drugs: antibiotics to kill the H. pylori bacterium and a proton pump inhibitor (like Prilosec) to reduce the production of stomach acid. Your child may start to feel better in a week, but it’s important that he take the entire course of antibiotics--usually two weeks—to make sure the infection is completely gone.

Q: Will my child need to avoid certain foods after the ulcer has cleared up?

A: Unless certain foods bother his stomach, most doctors will not recommend any dietary restrictions. Children and teens who are successfully treated for ulcers do not have any greater risk for ulcers in adulthood.

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