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
