Q: Dear Doctor, My daughter is 5 1/2 year old, but as she is healthy she looks older than her age. She eats her food normally and has no bowel problem. She is not fond of sweets. Yet she gets a mysterious pain under her navel region every night. She is fine during the day but once she is bed, she senses the pain and cries the whole night - it is now 3 years since the pain started, it stops for a month or two but then starts again. We have taken treatment from different doctors, including drugs for worms, but the pain returns after a period of a couple of months. She has also had abdominal sonography, urine and stool tests - all normal. I am worried about her, as she got this pain again for the last two weeks. The doctor said that it has to be instestine that gets churned from within and due to this the pain occurs, and the medicines have not relieved her yet. Please advise as to how to avoid this instestine churning problem and also get rid of this pain forever? Thanking you, PRABHA VARGHESE

A:These pains in your child in the belly could be related to Lactose or Milk intolerance, which is quite common in Indian children, so please do not give her milk at night. I also hope she is not constipated or passing hardstools with difficulty. A third possibility is Meckels Diverticulitis related to acid production in excess. I sense the only way forward for you is to see a good Pediatrician who completes a diagnostic workup after a thorough history and investigations.