Say
Goodbye
When children have stomach pain, everything from
attending school to spending time with friends is
affected. Through the Abdominal Pain Program,
Children's Mercy is committed to helping children
with stomach pain live healthier, active lives.
At
some point, your child has probably complained of
a tummy ache, and in most cases, stomach pain is
caused by nothing more than gas or the occasional 24-hour
virus. For some children, though, stomach pain becomes
chronic and erodes their ability to participate in day-to-day
activities, which can signal something more serious.
UNDERSTANDING FUNCTIONAL GI DISORDERS
While stomach pain can indicate serious illness, the majority
of children who are evaluated in the Abdominal Pain Program
at Children's Mercy have a functional gastrointestinal disorder,
such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia.
Functional GI disorders can be especially difficult to
diagnose and treat because there is no clear physical
disease responsible for the child's pain. Diagnosis of
these disorders often relies on the presence of symptoms,
including chronic abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or
constipation. Without clear physical disease to target,
treatment also becomes more complex.
"Because functional GI disorders are so difficult to treat,
these children's lives are often affected long term," says Craig
Friesen, MD, Division Director, Gastroenterology, and Co-Director,
Abdominal Pain Program at Children's Mercy and Professor of
Pediatrics at the UMKC School of Medicine. "Children missing school
or activities due to stomach pain is a major red flag and indicates
that, even if we do not find evidence of disease, they need
treatment beyond what is currently being done."
Did You Know?
According to the International Foundation for
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders,
10 TO 15 PERCENT OF CHILDREN
have abdominal pain that affects school and
activities at least three times during every
three-month period.
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Safe & Sound Winter 2014
