Patterns and seasonality in pediatric referrals for functional somatic symptoms

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Medicine
• Child Psychology
• Symptomology Research

Background:

• Functional somatic symptoms (FSS), or medically unexplained physical symptoms, are prevalent in pediatric populations.
• Previous research suggested a potential increase in the incidence of FSS among children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence and referral patterns of FSS in pediatric patients.
• To analyze trends and seasonal variations in FSS diagnoses over a defined period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of newly referred pediatric patients diagnosed with FSS between 2013 and 2018.
• Inclusion criteria: functional abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, chronic musculoskeletal pain, or chronic headache without an underlying medical diagnosis.
• Data collected from a secondary pediatric practice in Zwolle, The Netherlands.

Main Results:

• FSS accounted for 10.4% of all elective pediatric referrals during the 6-year study period.
• No significant upward trend in the incidence of FSS was observed.
• A distinct seasonal variation was identified, with incidence peaks in March and November and a nadir in August.

Conclusions:

• Functional somatic symptoms represent a significant proportion (1 in 10) of non-acute pediatric referrals.
• The incidence of FSS in this cohort remained stable over the observed 6 years.
• The identified seasonal pattern in FSS referrals requires further investigation.