TSMJ composite.qxd

The challenge of childhood abdominal pain is to treat the majority of children with self-limiting, less serious conditions, as well as identify the child with the rare, life-threatening cause of pain. Abdominal pain is extremely common and almost all children under 15 years experience it at some time1. Primary care physicians manage the vast majority of cases, however some children are sufficiently ill to require hospital admission2. Common causes of abdominal pain Abdominal pain in childhood presents a narrower range of diagnostic possibilities than the same presenting complaint in adults. Causes other than acute non-specific abdominal pain (ANSAP) and acute appendicitis are rare1.