Parental Obsessive-compulsive Disorder as a Risk Factor for Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain

Background: Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders affecting children. Evidence suggests the primary role of physiological factors in the development of FAP in children. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) creates excessive worrying, distress, mental preoccupation, and low self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parental OCD is associated with the prevalence of FAP among children. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine whether parental OCD is associated with the prevalence of FAP among children. Materials Methods: This case-control study examined 200 parents of children and adolescents (4-16 years old) with and without FAP. The New Rome criteria (Rome IV) were used to diagnose FAPs. This study used the obsessive-compulsive inventory-revised (OCI-R) to assess different domains of OCD symptoms in parents. The other required information, such as age, demographic information, and socioeconomic status (SES), was collected through self-administered questionnaires. Results: The study included 88 parents of children with FAP as the case group and 100 parents of children without FAP as the control group. Comparing cases with controls, significant differences were observed in age, occupation and number of siblings. The mean case and control OCR-I scores were 28.81±10.57 and 20.83±13.16, respectively. Furthermore, the case group scored significantly higher in washing, obsessing, neutralizing, ordering, and checking subscale scores than controls. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that parental OCD is associated with the prevalence of FAP in children. Parents who suffer from OCD are more likely to have children with FAP. Parental OCD symptoms may influence the progression and development of FAP. However, more studies are warranted to confirm our results.