Could there be any relationship between nutritional deficiencies and idiopathic chest pain in children?

Abstract

Objectives: Chest pain in childhood is a frequent cause of referral to pediatric cardiology departments althoughcardiac etiology is very rare. Etiology is usually unidentified and named as ‘idiopatic chest pain’. It is alsowell known fact that chronic pain is associated with insuffiency of some nutritional factors even in childhood.Our aim was to investigate if there is a relationship between nutritional defiencies with idiopathic chest painin children.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 364 patients who were referred pediatric cardiology department in oneyear period due to experienced chest pain more than one time. Among these patients, a total of 109 patientswho had complete blood count, serum ferritin, vitamin B 12 and 25-(OH) vitamin D levels in pediatricoutpatient clinics before and the etiology was still unidentified after a detailed cardiac and other examinationsformed the study group. Age and sex matched 59 healthy children without chest pain formed the control group.All participants had been evaluated with a detailed physical examination and patients in chest pain group alsohad an electrocardiographic ve echocardiographic evaluation.Results: Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D levels were lower in noncardiac chest pain group while there was nodifference between groups in term of ferritin levels and complete blood count parameters. These difference isstatistically significant particularly in vitamin D levels.Conclusions: Our results showed that low Vitamin D levels is associated with chronic chest pain in children.The present study provide the necessity of evaluating nutritional parameters in children with noncardiac chestpain.