Recurent Abdominal Pain and Intestinal Parasitosis. Our Results in a one Year Study.

Abstract

Background: Abdominal pain in children is the most common problem with which the pediatricians faces in their practice. Recurrent abdominal pain is defined as " the presence of at least three episodes of abdominal pain over a period longer than three months and severe enough to affect the activities of the children". Even though it is considered that functional bowel diseases are the most common cause of recurrent abdominal pain several studies have recognized that numerous organic disorder such as intestinal parasitic infections may lead to abdominal pain. Aim: The aim of this study is to observe the prevalence and the type of intestinal parasites in a representative sample of children living in the municipalities of Tetova and Dibra. Materials and methods: Our study was done in a period between January 2018-2019 in the municipalities of Tetova and Dibra. Totally 470 children examined due to recurrent abdominal pain from the pediatrician was subject of this study.Collected stool samples was checked for the presence of intestinal parasites in microbiological laboratories in Tetova and Dibra.
 Results: 470 children were included in our study. 248 of them were girls and 222 boys with a median age of 8.2 years. 67 of the children were positive (14.25 %) for intestinal parasites. 
 Conclusions: Our study reveals that intestinal parasites were frequent among children in our country. The incidence of intestinal parasitosis is higher among the children who come from families with lower socioeconomic status compared to children who come from families with good conditions. The same situation is related to education, respectively children of educated parents are least vulnerable to intestinal parasitosis.