A recent study (MP Jones et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 18: 360-7) provides granular data on a well-recognized phenomenon: stomach pain is more common in older children than younger children and is associated with psychosocial factors.

Design: “All Babies in Southeast Sweden” Study with 1781 children (born 1997-99).  Families answered questionnaires at birth, 1 year, 2.5 years, 5 years, 8 years and 10-12 years.

Key findings:

• Abdominal pain prevalence increased linearly with age -each year the rate increased .  At 2 yrs, the prevalence was ~6%, at 5 yrs ~8%, at 8 yrs ~9.5%, and at 12 yrs ~12% (Figure 2)
• Psychosocial factors associated with abdominal pain included lower emotional control at 2 yrs of age, parental concern for child at 2 yrs of age, and measures of parental stress.

My take: This study reinforces the idea that psychosocial factors increase the development of non-organic abdominal pain.  If they could be addressed better, GI clinics would be less busy.

Related blog posts:

• #NASPGHAN19 Postgraduate Course (Part 3)
• Brain-Gut Axis in 2017 | gutsandgrowth
• Advice on Abdominal Pain for Everyone Who Cares for Children | gutsandgrowth
• High Rates of Anxiety Develop in Kids with RAP
• Anxiety and Functional Abdominal Pain
• Change the Name: “Functional” is Lousy
• What NOT to say with functional pain | gutsandgrowth
• Brave New World: Psychotropic Manipulation & Pediatric Functional GI Disorders | gutsandgrowth
• 10 Years of Anxiety and Upper Endoscopy Correlation | gutsandgrowth
• Does negative testing reassure patients? | gutsandgrowth
• Born this way | gutsandgrowth

Old Well, UNC Chapel Hill, Fall