On October 24, 2007, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a part of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) annual meeting, a special single topic symposium entitled “New Insights into Childhood Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome (FAPS) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): A Multidisciplinary Approach,” was held.

Rome members who presented at the symposium include Marc Benninga, Carlo Di Lorenzo, Doug Drossman, Jeff Hyams, Paul Hyman, Nick Talley, Lynn Walker, and Jackie Wood. The symposium addressed a wide range of topics in the childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders including the role of early life and psychosocial factors, basic science and physiological mechanisms, genetics, and the future of research in the area. In addition, the symposium included a session providing insights from other specialties similar to the FGID’s like migraine, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and autonomic dysfunction. Jackie Wood delivered keynote presentation on basic mechanisms of IBS, while Nick Talley gave another keynote presentation on the role genetics in the field.

The full-day symposium, chaired by Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD of Ohio State University and Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH of University was jointly sponsored by the Rome Foundation, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Procter & Gamble, NIDDK, TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc., and the Pediatric Group. The symposium was a great success with over 350 registrants in attendance.