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Practical management of functional abdominal pain in children
L K Brown1, R M Beattie2, M P Tighe1
1Department of Paediatric, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Poole, Dorset, UK.
Insights
Functional abdominal pain (FAP) in children is common and often not disease-related. This review guides clinicians on managing FAP, focusing on parental concerns and restoring function.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Background:
- Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a prevalent condition in childhood.
- The impact of FAP often drives clinical referrals, rather than the pain itself.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current evidence on childhood FAP.
- To discuss functional symptom presentation and address parental concerns.
- To provide a framework for classification, investigation, and management.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence on FAP.
- Application of Rome III criteria for symptom classification.
- Discussion of diagnostic and management strategies.
Main Results:
- FAP is common in children and typically not indicative of underlying disease.
- Parental worries about chronic illness are a significant factor in FAP presentations.
- Effective communication and individualized strategies can help restore function.
Conclusions:
- Accurate classification using Rome III criteria is essential.
- Reassurance and clear explanation of functional symptoms are key.
- An individualized approach is crucial for managing childhood FAP and improving quality of life.
Abstract:
Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is common in childhood, but is not often caused by disease. It is often the impact of the pain rather than the pain itself that results in referral to the clinician. In this review, we will summarise the currently available evidence and discuss the functional dimensions of the presentation, within the framework of commonly expressed parental questions. Using the Rome III criteria, we discuss how to classify the functional symptoms, investigate appropriately, provide reassurance regarding parental worries of chronic disease. We outline how to explain the functional symptoms to parents and an individualised strategy to help restore function.
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