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Reliability and validity of an infant gastroesophageal reflux questionnaire
S R Orenstein1, J F Cohn, T M Shalaby
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Insights
A new Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire aids pediatricians in diagnosing infant reflux. This validated tool helps assess symptoms and potential causes, improving clinical decision-making for this common infant condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Gastroesophageal reflux is a common condition in infants.
- Accurate history-taking is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Existing diagnostic tools may lack comprehensive symptom and cause assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a comprehensive questionnaire for assessing infant gastroesophageal reflux.
- To aid pediatricians in the diagnostic and treatment decision-making process.
Main Methods:
- Development of a 161-item Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire.
- Completion by primary caretakers of 69 infants (1-58 weeks) with suspected reflux.
- Assessment of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, interobserver reliability, and accuracy of validated items.
Main Results:
- The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency (median 0.94), test-retest consistency (median 0.88), and interobserver consistency (median 0.85).
- Four externally validated items showed perfect accuracy (median 1.00).
- Median completion time was 20 minutes.
Conclusions:
- The Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool for improving history-taking in infants with suspected reflux.
- This questionnaire can assist pediatricians in diagnosing and managing this complex pediatric disorder effectively.
Abstract:
To improve history-taking of infants with suspected gastroesophageal reflux, we developed an Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire consisting of 161 items covering demographics, symptoms (regurgitation, weight deficit, respiratory difficulties, fussiness, apnea, and pain or bleeding of esophagitis), and possible causes (feeding volume and frequency, allergy, infection, colic, central nervous system abnormalities, positioning, and smoke exposure). The questionnaire was completed by primary caretakers of 69 infants aged 1 to 58 weeks suspected of having reflux. Median time to complete the questionnaire was 20 minutes. The median internal consistency of 29 pairs of redundant questions was 0.94. Median test-retest consistency of 110 items for nine respondents was 0.88. Median interobserver consistency, evaluated for 129 items in 35 questionnaires also filled out by secondary caretakers, was 0.85. The median accuracy of four externally validated items was 1.00. This questionnaire can aid pediatricians in making decisions regarding diagnoses and treatment in this common but complex disorder.