Risk factors for the development of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children

Abstract

The purpose is to analyze the risk factors for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) in children, which will prevent their development and optimize therapy. The article presents an analysis of the literature on risk factors for the most common disorders: functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Among all potential predictors of FGID, chronic psychological stress is the most significant. The main triggers for its occurrence are sleep disturbance, excessive mental stress, dissatisfaction with family relationships with friends and parents, abuse of gadgets, smartphones, etc. Among the predictors of FGID, scientists consider malnutrition, starting from an early age, namely artificial feeding, to be no less important. In older adults, excessive lipid intake, adherence to FODMAPs diets, and consumption of ultra-processed foods are considered risk factors for FGID. In addition, a violation of the diet, the use of cold dishes also contribute to the occurrence of dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract. An important aspect of studying risk factors for FGID is the level of physical activity of children, as well as their nutritional status. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are conditions characterized by recurrent abdominal pain not explained by structural or biochemical disorders. The interest in functional pathology is quite justified and understandable: despite the fact that functional diseases of the gastrointestinal tract do not pose an immediate threat to the patient's life, they significantly reduce its quality: they affect all segments of society, regardless of socioeconomic status, gender or race, violate the microclimate in the family, which leads to anxiety of the child and parents, form long-term consequences in the future, contribute to a long diagnostic search, repeated consultations, unjustified appointments and expenses. Such a subject of discussion cannot remain without research interest due to the fact that the identification of the main risk factors for FGID will prevent their development, improve the quality of life, reduce the time and cost of examining a patient, and optimize therapy. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.