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Textbook of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition pp 215–231Cite as

Functional Abdominal Pain and Other Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

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Abstract

This chapter discusses functional abdominal pain (FAP) and other common functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is common in school-aged children and is a frequent presenting complaint in general practice, general paediatric and paediatric gastroenterology clinics. Patients often have vague symptomatology and investigation usually results in a low yield of organic disease. Treatment strategies are varied and often subjective with very little evidence upon which to base them.

This chapter aims to outline the classification of RAP, and identification of its triggers, and a robust strategy to distinguish RAP from organic disease. It also discusses techniques to explain these symptoms to the child and parents, the efficacy of current treatment strategies and likely prognosis.

Other functional gastrointestinal disorders will be discussed, including colic and dyschezia, and rumination and aerophagy.

‘The symptom of abdominal pain in childhood is so common that it is unusual for a child to go through school years without experiencing it at some stage’.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Poole Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, BH15 2JB, Poole, UK

    Mark P. Tighe

  2. Southampton Children’s Hospital, University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, SO31 1FW, Southampton, UK

    R. Mark Beattie

Authors
  1. Mark P. Tighe
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  2. R. Mark Beattie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Mark Beattie .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Stefano Guandalini

  2. Clinical Director Child Health King’s College Hospital, Professor and Director Pediatric Liver, GI and Nutrition Center, London, United Kingdom

    Anil Dhawan

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Hebrew University Hadassah Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

    David Branski

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Tighe, M., Beattie, R. (2016). Functional Abdominal Pain and Other Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. In: Guandalini, S., Dhawan, A., Branski, D. (eds) Textbook of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17169-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17169-2_19

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