How does a parent handle a child's severe and unexplained abdominal
pains, especially when there's no known cause for them? The sudden
effects of functional abdominal pains--leading to severe stomach
aches and vomiting--prompt parents to seek emergency help at a neighborhood
hospital, even if there is no known physical cause for them and
stressors can make symptoms worse.
A study of 23 children admitted to a British hospital for such
ailments between 1997-2001 found some parents may be far too aggressive
in demanding fast answers--meaning fast cures--for their problems.
And, such demands may be actually be harming their children in the
process.
In each instance, blood tests as well as ultrasounds and endoscopic
procedures were completed. All but eight had already been seen by
two doctors, and a pair of kids had visited seven physicians prior
to being admitted into the hospital. Of the seven families who asked
for additional tests, even though they weren't necessary, only two
were actually successful. Moreover, in neither case did those extra
tests change the preliminary diagnosis.
Another interesting characteristic: Doctors noticed a high degree
of family conflict or dysfunction in a dozen cases, leading researchers
to believe parents were completely unaware of the potential effect
this emotional tension could have on the health of their children.
In fact, the same number of parents also lodged complaints about
the care their children were receiving, in hopes of securing more
tests.
Thirteen of those families accepted the possibility strong emotions
could play a big part of the ailing child's problems and accepted
referrals for psychological services. The health of all but two
of the children who received such help improved within a year. Of
the remaining 10 families who refused help, only three children
eventually improved.
Archives of Disease in Childhood April 2005;90(4):335-337
BBC
News March 22, 2005
| 