Question: What to do for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children ?
Answer: - Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, meaning it is a problem caused by changes in how the GI tract works. Children with a functional GI disorder have frequent symptoms, but the GI tract does not become damaged. - IBS is not a disease; it is a group of symptoms that occur together. - The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain or discomfort, often reported as cramping, along with diarrhea, constipation, or both. - The causes of IBS are not well understood. The possible causes of IBS in children include brain-gut signal problems, GI motor problems, hypersensitivity, mental health problems, bacterial gastroenteritis, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and genetics. - To diagnose IBS, a health care provider will conduct a physical exam and take a complete medical history. The medical history will include questions about the childs symptoms, family members with GI disorders, recent infections, medications, and stressful events related to the onset of symptoms. IBS is diagnosed when the physical exam does not show any cause for the childs symptoms and the child meets all of the following criteria: - has had symptoms at least once per week for at least 2 months - is growing as expected - is not showing any signs that suggest another cause for the symptoms - Though there is no cure for IBS, the symptoms can be treated with a combination of the following: - changes in eating, diet, and nutrition - medications - probiotics - therapies for mental health problems
Source: NIDDK