Global prevalence and international perspective of pediatric gastrointestinal disorders

Abstract

This chapter discusses the epidemiological trends and international perspectives of Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in children. FGIDs consist of a group of chronic gastrointestinal problems characterised by recurrent symptoms that cannot be explained by structural and biochemical abnormalities. The chronic and disabling nature of symptoms and their remarkably high prevalence across the globe has identified them as a concern for paediatric public health. Several studies have shown a significant percentage of children with non-organic recurrent abdominal pain to have functional gastrointestinal diseases. Aerophagia is a functional gastrointestinal disease characterised by repetitive swallowing of air that leads to abdominal distension, excessive belching and/or flatus. Cyclical vomiting syndrome is a clinical entity associated with recurrent episodes of severe nausea and vomiting that may last for hours to days with well-demarcated symptom-free intervals. Functional constipation is a cosmopolitan problem and with prevalence rates varying by geographical location and environmental cons.