GP Consultations for Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms in Parents and Their Children: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal Br J Gen Pract

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 May 7

PMID 23643229

Citations 6

Authors

Mujahed Shraim

Christian D Mallen

Kate M Dunn

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: There is evidence of an association of medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) between parents and children, but it is unclear whether this association is also present for GP consultations.

Aim: To review the literature investigating the association of GP consultations for MUPS between parents and children.

Design Of Study: Systematic review.

Method: Systematic search of MEDLINE(®), Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases from their inception to October 2012. Observational studies examining the association of GP consultations for MUPS between parents and children were included.

Results: Eight studies were included in the review. Three studies found significant associations between GP consultations for multiple MUPS between parents and children. Two studies reported significant associations between irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis in parents and multiple MUPS in children. One study showed no significant associations between multiple MUPS in mothers and functional abdominal pain in children. Two studies investigated the association of non-specific low back pain in parents and children; one study showed a significant association, whereas the other study found no significant association. Formal pooling of the results was not performed owing to a high degree of study heterogeneity.

Conclusion: This review provides evidence of an association between GP consultations for MUPS in parents and children, although the evidence is limited by some potential biases and study heterogeneity. GPs need to be aware of this association, which has implications for management of children presenting with MUPS. More longitudinal research focusing on all common MUPS in children, which relies on more precise sources of data, is needed to further investigate this association.

Citing Articles

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Non-specific Health complaints and self-rated health in pre-adolescents; impact on primary health care use.

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Central sensitization syndrome and the initial evaluation of a patient with fibromyalgia: a review.

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Repeated primary care consultations for non-specific physical symptoms in children in UK: a cohort study.

Shraim M, Blagojevic-Bucknall M, Mallen C, Dunn K BMC Fam Pract. 2014; 15:195.

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