Common Topics

Advice for professionals

Tummy (stomach, abdomen) pain in children is common. Most children do not need tests or treatment and the pain will get better by itself. Common causes include: Constipation, urine infection, tummy bugs (gastroenteritis, or diarrhoea and vomiting), viral infections, sore throat, threadworms (check if your child has an itchy bottom), period pains, worry or anxiety, trapped wind.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is the most common paediatric hip condition affecting 0.4% of live births

Head shape abnormalities are common - present in 25% of infants aged under 6 months
Deformational posterior plagiocephaly accounts for the vast majority of cases
Craniosynostosis (early fusion of cranial sutures) is rare
Clinical examination alone is sufficient to differentiate between deformational plagiocephaly and craniosynostosis in 95% of cases, imaging may be required in the remainder
Deformational plagiocephaly resolves spontaneously, but may take 2-3 years for complete resolution