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Background Children with Crohn’s disease (CD) may report abdominal pain despite clinical remission, suggesting that functional abdominal pain (FAP) may be playing a role. Aim This study aims to explore the presence and impact of FAP in children with CD in remission. Methods Children, aged 9–17, with CD were enrolled. Demographic information, the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), and the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) were obtained. Disease remission was defined by physician global assessment, normal labs, and absence of 3 or more stools a day, nocturnal stooling, bloody diarrhea, concurrent steroid therapy, strictures, or disease flare within 6 months. FAP was defined as patients with abdominal pain and CD remission. Rates of depression (CDI >9) were compared. Results 139/307 children reported abdominal pain. Of this group, 18/139 (13%) met criteria for FAP. Despite clinical remission, 8/18 CD FAP patients were classified with active disease by PCDAI. CD FAP patients had a higher rate of depression than CD patients in remission with no abdominal pain (55.6% vs. 29.9%; p=0.03), similar to patients with abdominal pain from active CD (55.6% vs. 44.8%; p=0.62). Conclusions A proportion of children with CD in remission have FAP. These children are at significant risk for depression. Future studies are needed to determine whether depression contributes to functional pain development or if pain itself leads to depression. Especially given that functional pain may exaggerate disease activity, clinicians caring for children with CD and FAP should consider evaluating for depressive disorders before escalating therapy.

Background Pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have high rates of abdominal pain. The study aims were to (1) Evaluate biological and psychological correlates of abdominal pain in depressed youth with IBD, (2) Determine predictors of abdominal pain in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods 765 patients ages 9–17 with IBD seen over 3 years at two sites were screened for depression. Depressed youth completed comprehensive assessments for abdominal pain, psychological (depression and anxiety), and biological (IBD-related, through disease activity indices and laboratory values) realms. Results 217 patients with IBD (161 CD, 56 UC) were depressed. 163 (120 CD, 43 UC) patients had complete API scores. In CD, abdominal pain was associated with depression (r=0.33; p<0.001), diarrhea (r=0.34; p=0.001), ESR (r=0.22; p=0.02), low albumin (r=0.24; p=.01), weight loss (r=0.33; p=0.001), and abdominal tenderness (r=0.38, p=0.002). A multivariate model with these significant correlates represented 32% of the variance in pain. Only depression (p=0.03), weight loss (p=0.04), and abdominal tenderness (p=0.01) predicted pain for CD patients. In UC, pain was associated with depression (r=0.46; p=0.002) and nocturnal stools (r=.32; p=.046). In the multivariate model with these significant correlates 23% of the variance was explained, and only depression (p=0.02) predicted pain. Conclusions The psychological state of pediatric patients with IBD may increase the sensitivity to abdominal pain. Thus, screening for and treating comorbid depression may prevent excessive medical testing and unnecessary escalation of IBD medications.

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