{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T05:55:17Z","timestamp":1781762117658,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781740800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Chronic abdominal pain in children often stems from disorders of gut\u2013brain interaction (DGBI), yet families may struggle to accept these diagnoses when tests are normal. This case describes an eleven-year-old boy with persistent epigastric pain after abdominal injury whose presentation was most consistent with functional abdominal pain\u2013not otherwise specified (FAP-NOS) under the Rome IV criteria. Despite extensive negative evaluations, his family believed vascular pathology was responsible, leading to escalating interventions including celiac plexus block and median arcuate ligament release. Symptoms returned post-operatively, consistent with gut\u2013brain interaction rather than structural disease. This case underscores the critical need for early, clear explanations of gut\u2013brain mechanisms that validate symptoms and address caregiver concerns, preventing diagnostic escalation and iatrogenic harm while supporting functional recovery.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2026.1844256","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T05:36:37Z","timestamp":1781760997000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Case Report: Breaking the cycle: preventing diagnostic escalation in pediatric chronic functional abdominal pain"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Khayreddine","family":"Bouabida","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"UConn Health, University of Connecticut","place":["Farmington, CT, United States"]},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CHUM)","place":["Montr\u00e9al, QC, 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