Introduction 256

Classification 257

Personality type and family factors 259

Common stresses in children with recurrent abdominal pain 259

Therapeutic options 260

Outcome 261

Recommended clinical approach 261

• Recurrent abdominal pain is common in school-aged children and is a frequent presenting complaint in general practice and general paediatric and paediatric gastroenterology clinics. Patients often have vague symptomatology and investigation usually results in a low yield of organic disease. Treatment strategies are varied and often subjective with very little evidence upon which to base them....