Early Life Stress and Pain: An Important Link to Functional Bowel Disorders

Functional bowel disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional abdominal pain (FAP), and functional dyspepsia (FD) have been associated with visceral hypersensitivity. The precise mechanism leading to hypersensitivity in children is not known and, until the past decade, it has been largely understudied. Recent advances in neuroscience have provided a better understanding of mechanisms and pathways that may be involved.