by Chiara Bidoli
The European campaign is underway to increase awareness among children and young people (aged 4 to 18) about “Functional abdominal pain” which is the main cause of school absences in the world
Frequent stomach aches associated with disorders such as headaches, tiredness, nausea? It may not be a “simple” stomach ache but it may be a non-trivial disorder, functional abdominal pain which affects 3 out of 10 children/young people of school age (usually appearing between 4 and 18 years) and is the primary cause of school absences. The European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) in collaboration, in Italy, with the Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP) and with the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) have decided to start a health campaign across Europe to raise awareness of this disorder. “This is a potentially devastating and serious problem for families and action needs to be taken to address it. The campaign, thanks also to the collaboration of the national general pediatric and gastroenterological societies, has precisely this objective” specifies ESPGHAN president Ulrich Baumann.
How to recognize functional abdominal pain
To distinguish it from classic stomach pain, you must first understand where the pain is located and monitor the duration of the symptoms. It is functional abdominal pain if the painful part is around the navel, if it occurs for at least four days a month and for at least two consecutive months and is not exclusively related to what you have eaten or the presence of menstruation. Functional abdominal pain may also be associated with headache, dizziness, tiredness, extremity pain, nausea, and difficulty sleeping. Other related disorders are depression and anxiety, which can also be part of the cause of the disorder, and which paediatricians also attribute to the effects that the persistence of this malaise has on the lifestyle of children. Finding out quickly helps to intervene and resolve, in most cases, the disorder but also to avoid overdiagnosis and invasive and useless diagnostic procedures.
Countryside
«The purpose of this campaign – explains S anja Kolacek, ESPGHAN spokesperson – is not only educational, but to raise awareness among the general public. Functional abdominal pain is a benign, but tedious condition that hinders the daily life of the affected child and his entire family. If addressed correctly, over 80% of children will no longer feel pain and will be fine.” In Italy the campaign is promoted by the Italian Society of Paediatrics which will involve the pediatrician circuit and provide interested doctors and parents with in-depth leaflets. «Even if it is a benign condition, underestimating the symptoms can make the situation worse – says the president of the Italian Society of Pediatrics Annamaria Staiano -. It is important to encourage children and young people to continue carrying out normal activities such as going to school, doing physical activity, going out with friends: this can distract them and relieve symptoms. It is also important to help them maintain a good sleep pattern and correct nutrition and to reassure them that the pain does not have a serious cause and is temporary. Functional abdominal pain can be caused by stress and, in turn, cause it: the advice, therefore, is to talk to children and young people about what causes them worries and anxieties.”
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January 29, 2024 (modified January 29, 2024 | 3:37 pm)
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