Low-FODMAP Diet in Children with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Functional Abdominal Pain: A Systematic Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/4hqtc156Keywords:
FODMAP Diet; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Abdominal Pain; Child; Adolescent.Abstract
Abdominal pain disorders related to gut–brain interaction affect quality of life, school attendance, and family well-being, while the low-FODMAP diet has been proposed to reduce intestinal osmotic and fermentative load. The objective was to compare its effectiveness with a habitual diet or standard dietary advice for reducing abdominal pain and improving gastrointestinal symptoms in children and adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome or functional abdominal pain. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-S, using searches in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and SciELO, ten studies published between 2020 and 2026 were included, comprising four comparative and six observational studies, and risk of bias was assessed with tools appropriate to each design. Comparative studies produced heterogeneous findings, two reported greater reductions in pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and quality-of-life impairment, whereas the other two did not confirm differences in responder rates compared with a habitual diet or NICE-based advice. Observational studies showed variable improvement, with more favorable responses under dietitian supervision and lower success rates in unguided applications, while adherence difficulties, cost, loss to follow-up, and insufficient reporting of adverse events were also identified. In conclusion, a low-FODMAP diet may benefit selected pediatric patients, particularly those with irritable bowel syndrome, although consistent superiority was not demonstrated, therefore it should be implemented as a short, supervised therapeutic trial followed by structured reintroduction and personalization rather than as prolonged unrestricted elimination.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Karen Nicole Zabala Carvajal, Jhosua Israel Novillo Carguaytongo, María de los Ángeles Villegas Ortiz, Carlos Alejandro Villamarín Aguirre, Ana Gabriela Chávez Lozada, Jorge Luis Freire Palacios (Autor/a)
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