Factors influencing functional abdominal pain in children.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) commonly affect children and are associated with short- and long-term morbidity. Although the pathogenesis of pain-related FGIDs remains incompletely understood, most investigators agree on a multifactorial etiology and the presence of an altered brain-gut interaction. A continuous interplay of genetic and environmental factors appears to shape the development of the central and enteric nervous systems. The biopsychosocial model is the current operational framework for children with FGIDs, as it recognizes the interaction between social and environmental influences and psychological and physiologic processes. The biopsychosocial model proposes that specific permutations of genetic susceptibility, early life experiences, sociocultural issues, and coping mechanisms could explain the variability in clinical presentation and outcome among individuals.