Stomachache in children may later cause anxiety and depression among adults, sources told the HealthDay News.
Stomach pain is known to be common childhood complaint, but a recent study suggests that it may place some children at higher risk for anxiety attacks and depression when they become adults.
Three hundred thirty-two young adults in their 20s who have experienced abdominal pain as children were compared to the 147 young adults who did not.
Results showed that of those who suffered from stomach pain, 51% had anxiety disorders during their lifetime and 30% currently had one.
On the other hand, 20% of adults who never experienced stomach pains when they were young had a form of anxiety disorder.
Lynn Walker, study author and a professor of pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN told the reporters of US News that a year later, those who suffered from stomach pains continued to have rates of anxiety disorders even if their stomach pains were no longer persistent.
The results of the study which was published on the journal of Pediatrics also confirmed that 40% of young men and women who suffered from abdominal pain as children also experienced depression throughout their lifetime.
Walker told the US News that the correlation between anxiety, depression and stomach pains are not very clear but it is important to break from the cycle as early as possible.
Walker encourages parents to immediately send their kids to a doctor the minute they complain of stomachache.
If the doctor does not confirm any serious diagnosis, parents should continue to encourage their children to engage in everyday activities and observe whether or not stomachaches will become frequent.
