Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026
Assessment of Perigenital Sensitivity and Prostatic Mast Cell Activation in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Maternal Separation
Published on: August 13, 2015
Common Pediatric Pain Disorders and Their Clinical Associations
Theresa J Donnelly1, Aneeka Bott, Minh Bui
1*Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick †Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton ‡School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
Insights
Childhood pains, including migraine and abdominal pain, are linked to restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, and mood disorders. These associations suggest shared underlying causes requiring further research into pediatric pain conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Pain Medicine
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Common childhood pains (headache, migraine, abdominal pain, growing pains, low back pain) and persistent pain are interconnected.
- Emerging evidence links these pain conditions to restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, anxiety, and depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between common childhood pain conditions, persistent pain, and non-pain conditions like restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, anxiety, and depression.
- To explore potential shared etiological mechanisms underlying these interconnected conditions in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving pediatric twin individuals and their siblings.
- Data collected via questionnaires on lifetime prevalence of pain disorders, restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, and anxiety/depression scores.
- Random-effects logistic regression used for univariate and multivariate association analyses.
Main Results:
- Significant univariate associations found between all pain conditions and persistent pain, restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, and anxiety/depression.
- Multivariate analyses confirmed significant associations between pain disorders and non-pain conditions (ORs 1.69-7.04), except for growing pains with persistent pain.
- Restless legs syndrome remained associated with growing pains (OR 8.50) and persistent pain (OR 2.01). Iron deficiency associated with migraine (OR 2.38), persistent pain (OR 3.70), and restless legs syndrome (OR 5.10).
Conclusions:
- The extensive associations suggest common etiological mechanisms for childhood pain conditions, persistent pain, restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, anxiety, and depression.
- Further investigation into these shared mechanisms is warranted to understand and potentially treat these interconnected conditions.
- Findings highlight the complex interplay between physical and mental health in pediatric chronic pain.
Background:
Common childhood pain conditions (nonmigraine headache, migraine, recurrent abdominal pain, growing pains, low back pain) and persistent pains are often associated with each other and have significant implications in later life. Emerging evidence suggests additional associations between these pain conditions and restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, anxiety, and depression. The aim of this cross-sectional study in pediatric twin individuals and their siblings was to investigate these associations.
Materials And Methods:
Surveys were sent to Australian twin families via the Australian Twin Registry, yielding responses from 2530 pediatric individuals. The lifetime prevalence of the common pain disorders of childhood and of other persistent pains, restless legs syndrome and iron deficiency, and anxious/depressed score were determined by questionnaires. Random-effects logistic regression modeling was used to investigate univariate and multivariate associations between conditions.
Results:
Univariate associations were found between each of the pain conditions and persistent pain, and between the pain conditions with restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, and anxious/depressed score. Derivative multivariate analyses retained statistically significant associations between each of the pain disorders included in the respective models (odds ratios [OR], 1.69-7.04) with the exception of growing pains with persistent pain. Of the nonpain conditions included in the multivariate analyses, restless legs syndrome remained associated with growing pains (OR, 8.50) and persistent pain (OR, 2.01). Iron deficiency remained significantly associated with migraine (OR, 2.38), persistent pain (OR, 3.70), and restless legs syndrome (OR, 5.10).
Conclusions:
In light of their extensive associations, the common pain conditions, persistent pain, restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, anxiety and depression, are likely to involve common etiological mechanisms that warrant further investigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
01:23Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
01:28Peptic Ulcer Disease III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
Few clinical manifestations differentiate gastric ulcers from duodenal ulcers. Distinctions in the location, timing, and pain relief are crucial for healthcare providers in differentiating between gastric and duodenal ulcers during clinical assessments.
01:28Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:17Other Pulmonary Disorders