For most 5-year-olds with a stomach ache, simple comfort measures work best: small sips of water, a warm compress on the belly, and rest. The majority of childhood stomach aches come from everyday causes like constipation, gas, or a stomach virus, and they resolve on their own within a few hours to a couple of days. What you give your child depends on what’s behind the pain.
Figure Out What’s Causing It
Before reaching for any remedy, pay attention to where the pain is and how your child describes it. Pain spread across the whole belly is typical of a stomach virus, indigestion, gas, or constipation. Crampy pain that comes and goes, especially if followed by diarrhea, is usually gas or bloating and rarely serious.
Constipation is one of the most common culprits at this age. If your child hasn’t had a bowel movement in a couple of days, or seems to strain when they go, that’s likely the issue. A stomach virus usually brings vomiting or diarrhea along with the pain. And sometimes a 5-year-old’s stomach ache is simply from eating too much, eating too fast, or feeling anxious about something.
Comfort Measures That Help
A warm (not hot) compress or heating pad wrapped in a towel and placed on your child’s belly can relax cramping muscles and ease discomfort quickly. Have your child lie down in a comfortable position, and let them rest. Gentle belly rubs in a clockwise direction can help move trapped gas along.
If constipation is the problem, getting your child to sit on the toilet for a few minutes after meals can help. Increasing fiber through fruits like pears, prunes, and berries, along with plenty of water, often resolves things within a day or two.
What to Feed a Sick Stomach
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), but the American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends following it strictly. It’s too restrictive and lacks the nutrients a child’s gut needs to recover. Sticking to it for more than 24 hours can actually slow down recovery.
Instead, offer small, frequent meals of soft, bland foods your child can tolerate. Bananas, rice, and toast are fine as part of a wider menu, but add in other gentle options like crackers, plain pasta, cooked carrots, or broth-based soup. As soon as your child feels ready to eat more, let them. Smaller portions tend to sit better than full-sized meals.
Keep Them Hydrated
If your child is vomiting or has diarrhea, preventing dehydration matters more than anything else you can give them. Offer small, frequent sips of water or an oral rehydration solution. Avoid sugary juices and sodas, which can make diarrhea worse.
Watch for signs that your child is getting dehydrated: urinating less than usual, a dry mouth, or no tears when crying. These signal that your child needs more fluids and possibly medical attention if they can’t keep anything down.
Over-the-Counter Options
For pain relief, acetaminophen is safe for a 5-year-old when dosed by weight using the measuring device that comes with the product. Don’t give more than five doses in 24 hours. Ibuprofen is also an option at this age (it’s only off-limits for babies under 6 months), but it can irritate an already upset stomach, so acetaminophen is generally the better choice for belly pain.
Simethicone drops, sold as gas relief for children, can help if trapped gas is the issue. They work by breaking up gas bubbles in the stomach and intestines, and they’re considered very safe since the body doesn’t absorb them.
There are two products you should absolutely avoid. Never give a child under 16 aspirin or any product containing aspirin, because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare but serious condition that affects the brain and liver. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) also contains a compound related to aspirin and carries the same risk. Always read the ingredients on any OTC medicine, since many products contain aspirin without making it obvious on the front label.
What About Probiotics and Herbal Remedies?
Probiotics are widely marketed for stomach troubles in kids, but the evidence is underwhelming. Two large clinical trials tested common probiotic strains in young children with acute stomach bugs and found no difference in the length of vomiting or diarrhea compared to placebo. There was no benefit regardless of the child’s age, how long symptoms had lasted, or what was causing the illness. Probiotics won’t hurt, but don’t count on them to speed recovery.
Ginger has some evidence for helping with nausea and vomiting specifically. In a study of 150 children ages 1 to 10 with vomiting from a stomach virus, a third of those given ginger had their vomiting stop after the first dose, compared to 13% given a placebo. A small amount of flat ginger ale or ginger tea (cooled and lightly sweetened) is a reasonable option if your child will drink it.
Peppermint has stronger evidence, though mostly in older children with recurring belly pain. In one trial, 75% of children given enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules had significant improvement in pain, compared to 19% on placebo. These capsules are designed for kids 8 and older, though, and peppermint can worsen reflux. For a 5-year-old, a mild peppermint tea is a gentler option worth trying.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most stomach aches in 5-year-olds pass without any medical treatment. But certain symptoms point to something more serious. Pain that’s focused in one specific spot rather than spread across the belly is more concerning, particularly pain in the lower right side, which can signal appendicitis. Pain that wakes your child up at night is another red flag: in one study, nighttime belly pain was over nine times more likely to have a medical cause than pain that only occurred during the day.
Get your child seen promptly if the stomach ache comes with a fever, bloody stools, vomiting that won’t stop, noticeable weight loss, or a belly that’s rigid or very tender to the touch. Pain lasting more than 24 hours without improving, or pain so severe your child can’t walk or stand up straight, also warrants a call to your pediatrician or a visit to urgent care.