PARIS – Depressed children with persistent abdominal pain were significantly more likely than their nondepressed peers to report additional problems such as dizziness, weakness, and heart palpitations, Cheryl Little, M.D., said in a poster presentation at the Second World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
In a study of 243 consecutive cases of children aged 8-15 years who were referred to gastroenterologists for persistent abdominal pain, 52 met the criteria for depression based on the Children's Depression Inventory. The presence of nebulous GI symptoms, such as an upset stomach, in addition to persistent abdominal pain should be a flag to primary care providers to screen for depression, Dr. Little noted.
Depressed children were significantly more likely than nondepressed children to report nonspecific nongastrointestinal symptoms including dizziness (57% vs. 28%, respectively), chest pain (43% vs. 22%), weakness (73% vs. 37%), back pain (47% vs. 26%), fatigue (75% vs. 53%), and heart palpitations (42% vs. 19%), said Dr. Little of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
In addition, the depressed children were significantly more likely than nondepressed children to report GI symptoms, including stomach upset (92% vs. 72%, respectively) and an urge to vomit (82% vs. 58%), in addition to their persistent abdominal pain. Complaints of feeling full were not significantly different between the two groups.
Headaches were common among both depressed (63%) and nondepressed (52%) children in addition to persistent abdominal pain, regardless of their other accompanying symptoms. No gender differences relating to specific symptoms appeared in this study.