Is there an association between functional gastrointestinal disorders in the first three months of life and maternal psychological problems?

Abstract

s / Digestive and Liver Disease 47S (2015) e237–e276 e239 The purpose of the study was to evaluate the possible association between FGIDs in children ≥4 years old and maternal/infants coping skills during the 1 months of life. 49 couples mother have been subjected to a psychological evaluation after the childbirth and during the first months of infant’s lifewith theuse of these specific tests: EdinburghPostnatalDepression Scale (EPDS), the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), the Italian questionnaires on temperament (QUIT) and the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS). At 4 year of age, the same mother have been interviewed about infant’s gastrointestinal symptoms to diagnose FIGDs according to Roma III criteria. Of the 49 children (27 male and 22 female), 11 present FIGDs (prevalence of 22.4%) and functional constipation was the most diagnosed disease (prevalence of 8.2%). No relationship was found between maternal attachment, postnatal depression and emotional availability and FIGDs at 4 years. There is a statistically relevant relationship between infants positive emotions orientated character and absence of FIGDs in 4 years children (t=2.062; p=0.045). These data do not suggest a strong relationship between poor coping parental skills and FGIDs in childhood. Intervention on parents might not play an important role for modulation of functional symptoms in offspring. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dld.2015.07.053