title: Postinfectious functional gastrointestinal disorders in children: a multicenter prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively investigate the occurrence of postinfectious functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria, in children with acute diarrhea of different infectious etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort multicenter study. Children 4-17 years of age presenting with acute diarrhea who tested positive for an enteric infection were recruited within 1 month from the episode and matched with control subjects of similar age and sex. Symptoms were evaluated with a validated questionnaire for FGIDs at the time of enrollment in the study and after 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 64 patients (36 boys; median age 5.3 years; age range 4.1-14.1 years) were recruited, 32 subjects in each arm. Infections included rotavirus (56.8%), salmonella (30%), adenovirus (6.6%), norovirus (3.3%), and Giardia lamblia (3.3%). FGIDs were significantly more common in exposed patients compared with controls within 1 month from acute diarrhea (40.6% vs 12.5% [P = .02, relative risk (RR) = 1.9]), 3 months (53% vs 15.6% [P = .003, RR = 2.2]), and 6 months (46.8% vs 15.6% [P = .01, RR = 1.9]) later. No correlation was found between different etiologies, age, or sex, and any type of FGIDs. Among exposed children, abdominal pain-related FGIDs were significantly more frequent compared with controls after 6 months from infection (P = .04, RR = 1.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This prospective cohort multicenter study supports postinfectious FGIDs as a true entity in children. There seems to be a significant increase in abdominal pain-related FGIDs after acute diarrhea in children within 1 month and 3 and 6 months later.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy. Electronic address: pensabene@unicz.it.
authors: Licia
authors: L
authors: Pensabene
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Talarico
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Concolino
authors: Department of Oncology, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: Domenico
authors: D
authors: Ciliberto
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors: Angelo
authors: A
authors: Campanozzi
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Gentile
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors: Vincenzo
authors: V
authors: Rutigliano
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Varese, Varese, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Salvatore
authors: Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Pediatrics, University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors: Annamaria
authors: A
authors: Staiano
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Di Lorenzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires