| ■ Chronic tummy aches common in young teens | 2007.12.29 |
| NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - One in five children will develop chronic abdominal pain during adolescence, according to a new study in English schoolchildren. The problem was more common in girls, with one-third reporting persistent stomach pain, compared to 13 percent of boys, Dr. A. El-Metwally of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and colleagues found, but the reasons for the gender difference remain unclear. Most children with abdominal pain have no physical abnormalities, the researchers note; "children with such pain have been described as compulsive, highly strung, and perfectionist," they add. Some studies have suggested that these stomachaches could predict psychiatric or gastrointestinal problems in adulthood. |