This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Web of Science (24) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Miele, E. Articles by Staiano, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Miele, E. Articles by Staiano, A. Related Collections Gastrointestinal Tract Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

PEDIATRICS Vol. 114 No. 1 July 2004, pp. 73-78

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children: An Italian Prospective Survey

Erasmo Miele, MD^*, Domenico Simeone, MD, Antonio Marino, MD, Luigi Greco, MD^*, Renata Auricchio, MD^*, Steven J. Novek, MD and Annamaria Staiano, MD^*

^* Department of Pediatrics, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
Associazione Culturale Pediatri, Campania, Naples, Italy

Objectives. To assess the prevalence and natural history of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in children using the Rome Criteria.

Methods. Thirteen primary care pediatricians were randomly selected from the Campania region of the Italian National Health Service. Each pediatrician completed a detailed FGID questionnaire on consecutive patients seen during a 3-month period. A total of 9660 patients aged birth to 12 years were enrolled prospectively during this 3-month period. Follow-up was performed at 1-, 3-, and 12-month intervals.

Results. A total of 194 children initially met strict criteria for at least 1 FGID. A total of 72 (37.1%) children had infant regurgitation, 26 (13.4%) had functional dyspepsia, 27 (13.9%) had irritable bowel syndrome, and 66 (34.1%) had functional constipation or other defecation disorders. All children who had a diagnosis of FGIDs were reevaluated at 1, 3, and 12 months to study the natural history of the illnesses. Additional evaluation revealed 5 children who had developed an organic diagnosis. Therefore, 5 (2.5%) of 194 children who had a diagnosis of FGIDs by the Rome criteria had a change in diagnosis to an organic disease during the study period, none of whom experienced permanent sequelae.

Conclusions. Of 194 children who received a prospective diagnosis of FGIDs using the Rome criteria, 97.5% continued to satisfy the diagnostic criteria or were improved at follow-up. The low prevalence of functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome in our population is most likely explained by the lack of adolescents in our sample.

---

Key Words: regurgitation • dyspepsia • irritable bowel syndrome • abdominal pain • constipation

Abbreviations: FGID, functional gastrointestinal disorder • NHS, National Health Service • IBS, irritable bowel syndrome

---

Received for publication Apr 7, 2003; Accepted Nov 7, 2003.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y Nakayama, A Horiuchi, T Kumagai, S Kubota, Y Taki, S Oishi, and H M Malaty Psychiatric, somatic, and gastrointestinal disorders, and Helicobacter pylori infection in children with recurrent abdominal pain Arch. Dis. Child., August 1, 2006; 91(8): 671 - 674. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Dong, L. Dingguo, X. Xiaoxing, and L. Hanming An Epidemiologic Study of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adolescents and Children in China: A School-Based Study Pediatrics, September 1, 2005; 116(3): e393 - e396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Osatakul The Natural Course of Infantile Reflux Regurgitation: A Non-Western Perspective Pediatrics, April 1, 2005; 115(4): 1110 - 1111. [Full Text] [PDF]