Background: Chronic diarrhea and functional abdominal pain (FAP) in childhood could be an early manifestation of adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of chronic functional digestive symptoms in childhood, interviewing adult patients diagnosed with IBS, in an attempt to establish a relationship between them. Methods: By means of a questionnaire, the history of colic, chronic diarrhea, functional abdominal pain, constipation and migraine in childhood, was analyzed in patients diagnosed with IBS according to the current Rome III criteria, and in control patients without known chronic digestive disorders. Key words children, functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome.According to the diagnostic criteria defined by the recent Rome III Committee recommendations, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder, in which there is a change in bowel habit or abdominal pain associated with defecation, with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis. 1 IBS is the most common gastrointestinal diagnosis in adults experienced by 10-15% of the general population, with a predominance in women.
2-4The pathogenesis of adult IBS remains uncertain. Studies of twins generally support a genetic component in IBS, but social environment has an equal or greater contribution. The concordance for IBS between monozygotic twins was significantly greater than that between dizygotic twins, but the concordance between mothers and their respective children was greater than that between monozygotic twins.5 A large number of mothers of children with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) have the same FGID as their children. 6 In addition, epidemiological studies have implicated psychosocial factors, such as life and psychological stresses; and various early childhood adverse life events also may carry an increased risk of IBS as an adult.
6-8Abdominal pain-related FGID, including recurrent functional abdominal pain (FAP) and IBS, are also observed in childhood, and the updated Roma III criteria for children aged 4-18 years have recently been published. 9 In clinical practice, the proportion of patients diagnosed with IBS is still very low in the pediatric age group, but recurrent FAP is often diagnosed. Many children and adolescents with FAP, however, will also meet criteria for IBS or other FGID.
10FAP is the most common recurrent pain in childhood, and approximately 10% of children experience FAP at any one time.
2The long-term outcome of this condition has not been determined, 11 although these children are more likely than their peers (without this symptom) to have lifelong psychiatric disorders as well as other painful somatic symptoms such as migraine headache. [12][13][14] Population-based studies have demonstrated that these children with FAP will report abdominal pain or symptoms of IBS 5-30 years later, 10,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] in approximately one-third to one-half of affected children; a significantly higher proportio...
