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Published on: August 13, 2015

Psychosocial factors and childhood recurrent abdominal pain

Christopher Chiong-Meng Boey1, Khean-Lee Goh

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ccmboey@yahoo.com

Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
|November 9, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Recurrent abdominal pain in children encompasses various conditions, often without identifiable organic causes. Psychosocial stress and altered brain-gut interactions, including visceral hypersensitivity, are increasingly recognized as key factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Neurogastroenterology

Background:

  • Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in children presents a broad clinical spectrum, not a single entity.
  • While organic causes are often absent, psychosocial stress is increasingly implicated.
  • The exact pathophysiology remains unclear, but visceral hypersensitivity and brain-gut axis alterations are suspected.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence linking psychosocial stress to recurrent abdominal pain in children.
  • To explore the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms, including visceral hypersensitivity and brain-gut axis dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating recurrent abdominal pain in pediatric populations.
  • Analysis of evidence supporting the role of psychosocial factors and neurobiological mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • A significant body of evidence suggests psychosocial stress influences recurrent abdominal pain in children.
  • Visceral hypersensitivity and altered central nervous system-gut interactions are considered primary mechanisms.
  • Irritable bowel syndrome is a recognized pattern within the spectrum of RAP.

Conclusions:

  • Recurrent abdominal pain in children is multifactorial, involving biological and psychosocial elements.
  • Understanding the brain-gut axis and visceral sensitivity is crucial for managing pediatric abdominal pain.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise pathophysiological pathways.

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