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Childhood gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in adult patients

J Patrick Waring1, Michael J Feiler, John G Hunter

  • 1Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|September 28, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Adults with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms were significantly more likely to recall childhood GER symptoms than those without. Early-onset GER in childhood is a strong predictor of adult GER disease.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and its related diseases (GERD) are increasingly prevalent in children and adults.
  • There is a lack of longitudinal studies on the natural history of childhood-onset GER.
  • Understanding the long-term outcomes of childhood GER is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the frequency of recalled childhood GER symptoms in adults with and without current GER symptoms.
  • To determine if childhood GER symptoms predict adult GER disease.
  • To compare the recall of childhood GER symptoms between adult refluxers and nonrefluxers.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire was administered to 400 adult patients, categorized as refluxers (n=225) and nonrefluxers (n=154).
  • Participants were asked to recall childhood symptoms potentially related to GER.
  • Statistical analysis compared the recall rates of childhood symptoms between the two adult groups.

Main Results:

  • Adult refluxers reported significantly higher recall of childhood GER symptoms (63%) compared to nonrefluxers (35%) (p < 0.001).
  • Adults with GER were more likely to recall symptoms starting in infancy.
  • Statistically significant GER was more prevalent in adult refluxers compared to nonrefluxers after age 11.

Conclusions:

  • Adults currently experiencing GER are substantially more likely to have experienced GER symptoms in childhood.
  • Childhood-onset GER appears to be a significant predictor of adult GER disease.
  • Further population-based studies are needed to assess the full impact of GER on healthcare.
Abstract

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