Prevalence of growing pains in a general paediatric OPD: A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study
Context: Growing pain (GP) is a common presentation in primary care settings. Aims: To find out the prevalence of GP and to observe its characteristics and associations. Settings and Design: General paediatric outpatient department (OPD). Methods and Material: Children coming to the general paediatr...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1430_22 |
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| Summary: | Context:
Growing pain (GP) is a common presentation in primary care settings.
Aims:
To find out the prevalence of GP and to observe its characteristics and associations.
Settings and Design:
General paediatric outpatient department (OPD).
Methods and Material:
Children coming to the general paediatric OPD of a tertiary centre in India between April 2019 and March 2020 for ‘chronic leg pains’ were screened with Peterson’s criteria. Patients with systemic illness were excluded. All received vitamin D and calcium supplementation. Patients with haemoglobin less than 11 gm% received additional 3 mg/kg iron supplementation. Then, patients were asked for follow-up.
Statistical Analysis Used:
Chi-square test.
Results:
A total of 333 children were diagnosed as GP out of the total OPD attendance of 26750. The prevalence was 1.24% and 72.7% among the children with chronic leg pain. Highest prevalence was in winter (1.74%). The mean age of the patients was 7.88 years. The mean duration of symptoms was 10.92 months. After 3 months, 267 patients could be followed up. Seventy-two out of 107 (67.3%) children, who received iron became symptom-free. Only 43 (28.8%) patients became symptom-free out of 160, who received only calcium and vitamin D3 and did not receive iron. The difference was highly significant statistically (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
The prevalence of GP in the OPD was 1.24% and 72.7% among the children with chronic leg pain. Iron supplementation along with vitamin D3 and calcium was associated with faster resolution of the symptoms. |
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| ISSN: | 2249-4863 2278-7135 |