Trying to get your children ready for school may prove more difficult for some
There could be a reason why you can't get the children out of bed in the morning other than them being lazy, they could be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
New research has indicated that the syndrome may be 10 times more common than previously thought, it could also be one of the major reasons why children are absent from school.
A study following 2,855 pupils at three schools, published in the online journal BMJ Open, found 28 missed school with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol who warned that the condition could be “potentially devastating”.
Controversy has raged around the diagnosis and treatment of CFS, also known as myalgic encephalitis or ME, which can affect children as young as five.
Symptoms include flu-like illness, extreme tiredness and mental lethargy, possibly triggered by a viral infection.
Whilst there is no cure for the disorder, supervised exercise and talking therapies can help overcome the debilitating symptoms.
Lead author Dr Esther Crawley, writing in the journal BMJ Open, said: "Chronic fatigue is an important cause of unexplained absence from school.
"Children diagnosed through school-based clinics are less severely affected than those referred to specialist services and appear to make rapid progress when they access treatment.
"There are several possible reasons why children missing significant amounts of school with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME are not identified.
"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."
Tagged in Parenting children's health