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Gut-directed hypnotherapy for functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome in children: a systematic review
Juliette M T M Rutten1, Johannes B Reitsma, Arine M Vlieger
1Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Emma Children’s Hospital AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. j.m.rutten@amc.nl
Insights
Gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) significantly improves abdominal pain and quality of life in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This therapy also reduces school absenteeism, offering a promising alternative to standard care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common in children.
- Gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) has demonstrated efficacy in adult FAP/IBS patients.
- The effectiveness of HT in pediatric populations requires systematic evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy of gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) in children diagnosed with FAP or IBS.
- To assess the impact of HT on key pediatric outcomes including pain, quality of life, and school attendance.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases (Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane).
- Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating HT in pediatric FAP/IBS patients.
- Outcomes assessed included abdominal pain scores, quality of life, healthcare costs, and school absenteeism.
Main Results:
- Three RCTs with 22-52 children per study were included; statistical pooling was not performed due to study heterogeneity.
- All included trials reported statistically significant improvements in abdominal pain scores for children receiving HT.
- Significant improvements in quality of life and reductions in school absenteeism were observed in some trials, with sustained benefits noted up to 1 year post-treatment.
Conclusions:
- Gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) appears to offer superior therapeutic effects compared to standard medical care for pediatric FAP/IBS.
- While promising, the precise benefits of HT require further quantification.
- There is a clear need for additional high-quality research to solidify these findings and guide clinical practice.
Objectives:
Gut directed hypnotherapy (HT) is shown to be effective in adult functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients. We performed a systematic review to assess efficacy of HT in paediatric FAP/IBS patients.
Methods:
We searched Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomised controlled trials (RCT) in children with FAP or IBS, investigating efficacy of HT on the following outcomes: abdominal pain scores, quality of life, costs and school absenteeism.
Results:
Three RCT comparing HT to a control treatment were included with sample sizes ranging from 22 to 52 children. We refrained from statistical pooling because of low number of studies and many differences in design and outcomes. Two studies examined HT performed by a therapist, one examined HT through self-exercises on audio CD. All trials showed statistically significantly greater improvement in abdominal pain scores among children receiving HT. One trial reported beneficial effects sustained after 1 year of follow-up. One trial reported statistically significant improvement in quality of life in the HT group. Two trials reported significant reductions in school absenteeism after HT.
Conclusions:
Therapeutic effects of HT seem superior to standard medical care in children with FAP or IBS. It remains difficult to quantify exact benefits. The need for more high quality research is evident.
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