Tag: childhood

Adults with ME/CFS report surprisingly high rates of youth symptoms: A qualitative analysis of patient blog commentary

Abstract:

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating chronic illness that impacts pediatric populations.

Objective: The current study aimed to better understand adult perceptions of their experiences leading up to their diagnosis of ME/CFS.

Method: Patients provided data regarding symptoms of ME/CFS they may have experienced during childhood through a popular community blog forum, with participants interacting via blog comments in real-time and across various geographical locations.

Results: Descriptive analyses indicated that roughly 43% of adult survey participants reported having developed ME/CFS prior to age 18. A standard content analysis of patient blog commentary revealed several themes, such as poor mental health, family pattern/history, healthy childhood preceding sick adulthood, feeling misunderstood, lack of clarity until adulthood, sharing of resources, poor school functioning, isolation/poor social supports, and coping mechanisms.

Conclusion: There are unique benefits and insights that can be used by investigators who collaborate with patient organizations as a means of better understanding ME/CFS illness severity, presentation, and lived experiences.

Source: Johnson M, Torres C, Watts-Rich H, Jason L. Adults with ME/CFS report surprisingly high rates of youth symptoms: A qualitative analysis of patient blog commentary. Work. 2023 Mar 9. doi: 10.3233/WOR-220484. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36911960. https://content.iospress.com/articles/work/wor220484 (Full text)

Possible role for early-life immune insult including developmental immunotoxicity in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in some countries, is a debilitating disease with a constellation of multi-system dysfunctions primarily involving the neurological, endocrine and immune systems. While substantial information is available concerning the complex dysfunction-associated symptoms of CFS, environmental origins of the disease have yet to be determined.

Part of the dilemma in identifying the cause(s) has been the focus on biomarkers (hormones, neurotransmitters, cytokines, infectious agents) that are contemporary with later-life CFS episodes. Yet, recent investigations on the origins of environmental diseases of the neurological, endocrine, reproductive, respiratory and immune systems suggest that early life toxicologic and other insults are pivotal in producing later-life onset of symptoms. As with autism and childhood asthma, CFS can also occur in children where the causes are certainly early-life events.

Immune dysfunction is recognized as part of the CFS phenotype but has received comparatively less attention than aberrant neurological or endocrine function. However, recent research results suggest that early life immune insults (ELII) including developmental immunotoxicity (DIT), which is induced by xenobiotics, may offer an important clue to the origin(s) of CFS.

The developing immune system is a sensitive and novel target for environmental insult (xenobiotic, infectious agents, stress) with major ramifications for postnatal health risks. Additionally, many prenatal and early postnatal neurological lesions associated with postnatal neurobehavioral diseases are now recognized as linked to prenatal immune insult and inflammatory dysregulation. This review considers the potential role of ELII including DIT as an early-life component of later-life CFS.

 

Source: Dietert RR, Dietert JM. Possible role for early-life immune insult including developmental immunotoxicity in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Toxicology. 2008 May 2;247(1):61-72. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2008.01.022. Epub 2008 Feb 8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18336982

 

Family health and characteristics in chronic fatigue syndrome, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and emotional disorders of childhood

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To compare family health and characteristics in children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), and emotional disorders.

METHOD: Parents of 28 children and adolescents aged 11 to 18 years with CFS, 30 with JRA, and 27 with emotional disorders (i.e., anxiety and/or depressive disorders) were recruited from specialty clinical settings and completed interviews and questionnaires assessing family health problems, parental mental distress, illness attitudes, and family burden of illness.

RESULTS: Parents of children with CFS were significantly more likely than those of children with JRA to report a history of CFS-like illness, high levels of mental distress, and a tendency to experience functional impairment in response to physical symptoms. Families of children with CFS were characterized by significantly greater emotional involvement and reported greater family burden related to the child’s illness in comparison with families of children with JRA.

CONCLUSIONS: CFS in childhood and adolescence is associated with higher levels of parental CFS-like illness, mental distress, emotional involvement, and family illness burden than those observed in association with JRA, a chronic pediatric physical illness.

 

Source: Rangel L, Garralda ME, Jeffs J, Rose G. Family health and characteristics in chronic fatigue syndrome, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and emotional disorders of childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005 Feb;44(2):150-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15689728

 

Childhood predictors of self reported chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adults: national birth cohort study

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To study childhood risk factors for chronic fatigue syndrome in adult life.

DESIGN: Examination of data from the 1970 British birth cohort.

PARTICIPANTS: 16,567 babies born 5-11 April 1970, followed up at 5, 10, 16, and 29-30 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) identified by self report at age 30 years. Data from childhood from questionnaires given to parents and teachers. Maternal mental health assessed with the malaise inventory.

RESULTS: 93 (0.8%, 95% confidence interval 0.7 to 1.0) of 11 261 participants reported ever having CFS/ME, and 48 (0.4%, 0.3 to 0.6) had the condition currently. Higher risk of CFS/ME was associated with having a limiting longstanding condition in childhood (odds ratio 2.3, 1.4 to 3.9), female sex (2.3, 1.4 to 2.6), and high social class in childhood (2.2, 1.4 to 3.5). Higher levels of exercise in childhood were associated with lower risk (0.5, 0.2 to 0.9). Maternal psychological disorder, psychological problems in childhood, birth weight, birth order, atopy, obesity, school absence, academic ability, and parental illness were not associated with risk of CFS/ME.

CONCLUSIONS: We identified no association between maternal or child psychological distress, academic ability, parental illness, atopy, or birth order and increasing risk of lifetime CFS/ME. Sedentary behaviour increased the risk.

Comment in: What causes chronic fatigue syndrome? [BMJ. 2004]

 

Source: Viner R, Hotopf M. Childhood predictors of self reported chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adults: national birth cohort study. BMJ. 2004 Oct 23;329(7472):941. Epub 2004 Oct 6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524102/ (Full article)

 

 

Childhood experiences of illness and parenting in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: There are many similarities between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), the somatoform disorders and problems otherwise known as “medically unexplained symptoms.” There is some evidence to suggest that a combination of inadequate parenting and early illness experience may predispose the individual to develop medically unexplained symptoms in adult life. The aim of this investigation was to compare the contributions of childhood experiences of illness and parenting in adults with CFS with a fracture clinic control group.

METHOD: A retrospective case control design was used. Thirty patients with a diagnosis of CFS and 30 patients attending a fracture clinic in an inner London teaching hospital completed questionnaires measuring parental care and protection and were interviewed about childhood experiences of illness.

RESULTS: There were no differences in childhood experience of illness in the two groups. However, logistic regression revealed that maternal overprotection and depression were associated with the diagnosis of CFS.

CONCLUSION: The findings may represent risk factors for the development of CFS in adult life. It is possible that maternal overprotection in particular is related to the formation of belief systems about avoiding activity that operate to adversely influence behaviour in patients with CFS.

 

Source: Fisher L, Chalder T. Childhood experiences of illness and parenting in adults with chronic fatigue syndrome. J Psychosom Res. 2003 May;54(5):439-43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12726900