title: Posttraumatic stress disorder among preschoolers exposed to ongoing missile attacks in the Gaza war.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence and manifestation of posttraumatic stress symptoms in young children may differ from that observed in adults. This study examined sociodemographic, familial, and psychosomatic correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among preschool children and their mothers who had been exposed to ongoing missile attacks in the Gaza war.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-seven mothers of preschoolers (aged 4.0-6.5 years) were interviewed regarding PTSD and psychosomatic symptomatology of their children, as well as their own reactions to trauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen mothers (8.4%) and 35 children (21.0%) screened positive for PTSD. Sociodemographic characteristics were not associated with PTSD among mothers or children. Among children, the only significant risk factor was having a mother with PTSD (OR = 12.22, 95% CI 2.75-54.28). Compared to children who did not screen positive for PTSD, those who did screen positive displayed significantly higher rates of psychosomatic reactions to trauma, most notably constipation or diarrhea (OR = 4.36, 95% CI 1.64-11.60) and headaches (OR = 2.91, 95% CI 1.07-7.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study add to the burgeoning literature on child PTSD, emphasizing the important role of maternal anxiety and the psychosomatic reactions associated with exposure to ongoing traumatic experiences in young children.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Vered
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kaufman-Shriqui
authors.forename: Nomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Werbeloff
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faroy
authors.forename: Gal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meiri
authors.forename: Danit R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Shahar
authors.forename: Drora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Yelena
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Novack
authors.forename: Natalya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bilenko
authors.forename: Hillel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.forename: Naama
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elhadad
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Pietrzak
authors.forename: Ilan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harpaz-Rotem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014857:Warfare