What would cause a 4 year old to get an ulcer?

An aquaintance’s young child had an ulcer caused by bacteria. I don’t know the outcome, but there is a boatload of info about this.

Ulcers are caused by a disruption in a person’s biome, the mix of flora in their gut.

Has the child been on antibiotics? That can have an effect of killing beneficial bacteria while allowing damaging bacteria to thrive.

Is she ever given NSAID pain medication – things like ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Alleve, naproxen? Those, if taken without food or too frequently, can cause intestinal damage like ulcers.

Ulcers heal.

I took Aleve every night for a year and was hospitalized with an ulcer. I guess it has healed; I’m really not sure.

Well, of course she gets fever reducers and antibiotics and such every now and again, but not excessively…as far as I know.

Here are some articles on the subject of what ulcers in young kids are likely to be about:

https://www.babycenter.com/0_ulcer-ages-3-to-8_1391377.bc

http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/peptic-ulcers.html

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=90&ContentID=P02021

Tylenol is a fever reducer that does not carry the risk of intestinal damage like most others do. Might be good to keep in mind for the future.

By the way, is it a stomach ulcer or somewhere else? I assume since you didn’t specify that it was stomach.

Stomach.

I was a little frustrated with the reports coming back from my daughter in law.
I said, “What did the doctor say?”
“She has an ulcer.”
“I know. But what caused it?”
“IDK. Doctor just said ‘kids get them too.’”
I said, “But something had to have caused it!”
“Stomach acid eating at the stomach lining.”
I said, “But why was the stomach acid eating the lining?”
“IDK. Doctor just said it happens.”
I said “Well, I read that NSAIDS can cause it. Aspirin, Ibuprophen, stuff like that.”
“We don’t give our kids any of that.” I KNOW they give the kids something for fevers! I don’t think she’d know the difference between one aspirin type or the other.
I was starting to get frustrated with all the non-answers, and starting to feel really pushy. I don’t want to be really pushy. I just want a reason.
Finally she said, “They did a breath test to se if she has H. pylori.”
I said, “Good. It makes me feel better that they’re looking for a reason.”

Communication with that woman is damn near impossible some times. MOST of the time.

Here is Most of What You Need to Know About Ulcers

That being said, one of my close friends had to take antibiotics (not sure which one) for an infection (not ulcer related at all) and the antibiotic, itself, pretty much wiped out the healthy flora and fauna in her digestive system. I’m guessing that when that happens, you can become susceptible to ulcers, because all of the protective bacteria is destroyed.

From the above article, it seems like hpylori bacterium is the main cause of ulcers, and next is a genetic tendency towards ulcers, and certain meds, especially certain NSAIDS like aspirin, Naproxen, and Ibuprofen. Stress, itself, does not seem to cause ulcers, but it can exacerbate them, as can certain foods, and certain meds.

I hope she’s better soon : )

They did a breath test for H pylori. Don’t know what the results are.
They don’t give the kids NSAIDS.