Increasing incidence of acute pancreatitis in childhood

Acute pancreatitis has a large medical and economic impact on healthcare for adults and children. The impact in childhood has become more significant because the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis has increased over the last 20 years. The incidence of acute pancreatitis has increased sixfold or more since the early 1990s to the present. The reasons for the increase are not clear. The most compelling data suggest that increased physician awareness is largely responsible for the increased diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in childhood. Physicians who care for children need to be aware that acute pancreatitis is more common in childhood than previously believed.