(Incidence of non-specific abdominal pain in children during school term: population survey based on discharge diagnoses)

Children are much more likely to have abdominal pain during the school term than during the school holiday, report Nigel Williams from Leicester Royal Infirmary and colleagues from Leicester in this week's BMJ. Based on a study of children aged five to 16 years in Leicestershire, the authors found that the rate of admissions for abdominal pain at the Leicester Royal Infirmary was 1.4 times greater than during the school holidays. Williams et al conclude that psychological and behavioural factors may be involved in the genesis and presentation of the condition.

Contact:

Mr Nigel Williams, Senior Registrar in Surgery, Department of Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester [email protected]