Undiagnosed cases of chronic fatigue syndrome in children may account for school absence

Undiagnosed cases of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis (CFS/ME) in children may be accounting for up to one per cent of non-truanting children taking lots of time off from school.

According to research from Bristol, of 2855 pupils attending three different South West secondary schools, 28 had CFS/ME and had missed more than 20 per cent of schooling over a six week period.
 
The research authors also compared the children referred to specialist services via school based clinics with 604 children referred to these services by healthcare professionals.
 
Those children picked up in the school based clinic had less fatigue, and fewer symptoms than their peers referred to specialist services.

The authors believe there are several reasons why children may be missing school with undiagnosed CFS/ME.
 
The say: “Those with moderate/mild [symptoms] may not see their GP or may not be recognised as having [the condition] if they are seen. Alternatively, GPs
and paediatricians may not be aware of specialist services or feel that their child’s [condition] is sufficiently serious to warrant a referral”

The research has been published online in BMJ Open.