

This treatment often includes several sessions with a trained therapist in which the child and parents learn ways to think about and cope with pain. One treatment for functional abdominal pain that has had good success is cognitive behavioral therapy. Functional abdominal pain can be difficult for parents to cope with, as they see their child in pain but no medical tests can prove the diagnosis.įortunately, there are treatments for functional abdominal pain. These children are at risk for increased psychological problems such as depression, missing out on activities and school because of the pain, and decreased quality of life.

The pain is not usually worse with eating, but it may be worse if the child is under stress or worried about something.Ĭhildren diagnosed as having functional abdominal pain may have potential negative consequences of this illness.

Typically there is no nausea, vomiting, or fever with this kind of pain. The pain may happen once in a while or all the time. The symptoms of recurrent functional abdominal pain include pain often located in the middle of the child's abdomen. There are many causes of chronic recurrent abdominal pain in children, but parents may find it surprising that it is very common for there to be no clear cause identified for childhood abdominal pain even though examinations and tests have been done.įunctional abdominal pain is a diagnosis that may be made if a child has a particular pattern of symptoms and no other tests for other abdominal diseases have been positive.
