Document Detail


Abdominal sensitivity in the first year of life: comparison of infants with and without prenatally diagnosed unilateral hydronephrosis.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  12435457     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
There are few studies on visceral pain in infants, despite its clinical importance. We have used the abdominal skin reflex (ASR) to measure changes in abdominal sensitivity in the presence of visceral pathology in infants. The reflex was elicited by applying calibrated von Frey hairs to each side of the abdomen and the mechanical threshold and the degree of reflex radiation as denoted by hip flexion were measured. The developmental progression of ASR properties during the first year of life was studied in a cross-sectional sample of healthy infants ranging from 30 to 95 weeks postconceptional age (PCA). These properties were compared to those in infants with unilateral hydronephrosis (UH) using a blinded protocol. Infants with UH were studied at their first outpatient appointment after birth, and postoperatively following surgery if this was indicated. The investigators were blinded to laterality and severity of hydronephrosis until data were analysed, or until surgery. A total of 30 patients with UH and 77 healthy infants were included in the study. In 21 (70%) patients, the side of hydronephrosis had a significantly lower ASR threshold than the contralateral side of the abdomen. There was a significant increase in reflex threshold and decrease in reflex radiation with increasing PCA in control infants. However, in UH infants, this relationship did not exist, even on the unaffected side of the abdomen.Our results show that infants with prenatally diagnosed UH demonstrate increased abdominal sensitivity compared with control infants. Using the ASR, we have provided the first evidence of referred visceral hypersensitivity in infants.
Authors:
K A Andrews; D Desai; H K Dhillon; D T Wilcox; M Fitzgerald
Related Documents :
11817857 - Scabies in free-ranging mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei) in bwindi impenet...
11820927 - A hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase, st2b2, is a skin cholesterol sulfotransferase in mice.
1702887 - Infantile systemic hyalinosis: newly recognized disorder of collagen?
15551917 - Effective use of emollients in infants and young people.
8363337 - Neonatal jaundice: update on phototherapy management.
17408087 - Deaths: leading causes for 2003.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Pain     Volume:  100     ISSN:  0304-3959     ISO Abbreviation:  Pain     Publication Date:  2002 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2002-11-18     Completed Date:  2003-03-12     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7508686     Medline TA:  Pain     Country:  Netherlands    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  35-46     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Children Nationwide Paediatric Pain Research Centre, Department of Anatomy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. k.andrews@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Abdomen
Cross-Sectional Studies
Hip Joint
Humans
Hydronephrosis / diagnosis*,  surgery
Infant
Kidney Pelvis
Movement
Muscle Contraction
Pain Measurement / methods*
Pain Threshold*
Prenatal Diagnosis*
Reflex
Skin

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Modulation of nociceptive transmission by pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide in the ...
Next Document:  An experimental investigation of the relation between catastrophizing and activity intolerance.