Children's digestive problems: common conditions and management methods
In everyday life, children are prone to digestive problems. There are many types of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) refers to stomach contents flowing back into the gullet, with symptoms including acid reflux, heartburn, chest pain, and discomfort. If young children have congenital dysfunction of the lower oesophageal sphincter, reduced oesophageal motility, and delayed gastric emptying, this will lead to increased stomach pressure and slower food clearance, causing stomach acid, milk, and food to reflux into the gullet.
When the condition is severe, they may often regurgitate and vomit, even leading to developmental delays, sleep apnoea, and complications such as pharyngitis. As gastroesophageal reflux disease is caused by dysfunction and degeneration of the sphincter, over 80% of patients require long-term medication. Patients should avoid eating or drinking within 2 hours of bedtime, avoid eating too quickly or too much, and should reduce intake of irritating and greasy foods.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a collective term for symptoms caused by dysfunction, disorder, or hypersensitivity of the intestines. It usually affects children from the age of five or six and symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, a frequent feeling of incomplete bowel evacuation, hard or watery stools, and the passage of mucus. Symptoms are relieved after a bowel movement and mostly occur during stressful periods, such as during exams. Although the cause of the condition cannot be fully explained at present, it is generally related to lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, stress, sleep disturbances, and emotional influences.
Medication for irritable bowel syndrome primarily targets individual symptoms. For instance, when experiencing abdominal pain or diarrhoea, doctors will prescribe painkillers and antidiarrhoeals. Developing healthy dietary habits, avoiding irritating or greasy foods, and effectively managing stress and emotions can also help alleviate IBS symptoms.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease can be divided into two main categories: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. It is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system attacks its own digestive tract cells. It often appears in childhood or adolescence, causing inflammation and ulcers in the patients' digestive tracts, leading to redness and swelling of the intestinal walls, ulcers, and other symptoms.
Symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include blood or mucus in the stool, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, and inflammation of organs outside the digestive tract, such as the eyes, skin, and joints. Symptoms will accompany patients for life, and generally require regular medication to control the condition. Severe cases may even require surgery.
Parental guidance
Parents should pay close attention to children's gastrointestinal problems. The symptoms of different gastrointestinal illnesses are similar, so do not self-diagnose or give over-the-counter medication, let alone resort to folk remedies for your child. If your child shows signs of discomfort, you must seek medical attention promptly to identify the cause and administer the correct treatment.
