It’s normal for kids to get stomach aches, but some kids have bad stomach pain all the time. 

If your child has abdominal pain, cramping, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, you may be wondering if your child has inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but do you know the difference?

While many of the symptoms are similar, IBD and IBS are very different. IBS can cause pain, but there is no inflammation of the intestine and it doesn’t lead to serious disease, as with IBD. 

It’s important to not diagnose either of these conditions yourself. If your child has these symptoms, you should take your child to a pediatrician, who can then refer your child to a pediatric gastroenterologist, if necessary.