Dor Crónica Pediátrica: Fatores de risco e sua influência na modulação da dor

Abstract

Chronic pain in pediatric age has been getting more attention from the scientific community in the last years. Compared to chronic pain in adults, there is scarce information about this topic, but its' significant prevalence, costs for society and huge negative impact in quality of life for children, turn it a relevant topic to further studies. In this review, we critically review which risk factors accounting for chronic pain in children and how they affect the modulation of pain. Older age and girls have more prevalence of chronic pain. Pain catastrophizing by parents or children leads to pain avoidance attitudes creating a negative reaction towards pain. Depressive and anxiety symptoms are also associated with more prevalence and intensity of pain. Other factors such sleep patterns, adverse events, joint hypermobility, presurgical pain and epigenetics play a role in chronic pain. The way children´s modulate pain is similar as in adults, and several brain regions are implicated in it. The impact of these factors in such maturation phase of nervous system can hold negative consequences for the neurodevelopment of children, that predispose them to chronic pain.