PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mujahed Shraim
AU  - Christian D Mallen
AU  - Kate M Dunn
TI  - GP consultations for medically unexplained physical symptoms in parents and their children: a systematic review
AID  - 10.3399/bjgp13X667178
DP  - 2013 May 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - e318--e325
VI  - 63
IP  - 610
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/63/610/e318.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/63/610/e318.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2013 May 01; 63
AB  - 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.