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Gastro-abdominal pain in children

Jacinta Tobin MB BS, FRACS, PhD

Although there is often a hidden agenda in cases of recurrent abdominal pain, most children with this common problem can be helped.

• Recurrent abdominal pain in children is a complex biosychosocial problem and requires time - make sure you allocate at least 30 minutes for a consultation.
• There is often a hidden agenda, such as a family history of bowel cancer, a past history of serious illness in a parent or sibling, postnatal depression, marital discord or a major life event.
• As the child's family physcian, you have an advantage in already knowing the family's culture and what they value and what they worry about.
• The original series on abdominal pain, published in 1958, suggested that only about 8% of children who present with recurrent abdominal pain had an identified organic cause. A series published in 2004 suggested that about 30% will have an organic cause found, and that most others will have an explanation that can lead to resolution, commonly irratable bowel syndrome(IBS).

Assessment

Think lumen, mucosa, immune response, neuronal response.