BENGALURU: Young children are quick to refuse food, eat sweets through the day, pick junk food over healthy greens, and often ingest all sorts of rubbish like paper, tissue, and mud. More often than not, these habits make them sick. Along with fever and vomiting come frequent complains of abdominal pain. However, you must not easily dismiss the stomachaches as a sign of strange, childhood eating habits. Your child may be suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
IBD represents a group of intestinal disorders that causes prolonged inflammation of the inner linings of the digestive tract, including the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and often the rectum.
The condition disrupts the functioning of the digestive system severely and prevents the good nutrients and calories from being absorbed into the child’s body, thus hindering their normal development and growth.
IBD can present itself as either of two chronic diseases – Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. They are majorly caused due to consumption of junk food or unhealthy food on regular basis, a poor immune system, and often due to genetic disposition.
Usually, abdominal pain occurs between the chest and pelvic regions. It can manifest in the form of cramps, aches, dull, intermittent or sharp pangs of pain. Few of the main reasons for abdominal pain in children are constipation, indigestion, and inflammation caused as a result of consumed bacteria.
Common Occurance
However, a child suffering from IBD has become a common occurrence and one needs to pay close attention to the symptoms or pain described by the child.
Following are common types of abdominal pains based on their root cause:
■ Generalized pain over more than half of the belly could be due to a stomach virus, indigestion, gas, or when the child has become constipated
■ Cramp-like pain is most likely to occur due to gas and bloating. It is often followed by diarrhea and not very serious
■ Colicky pain is pain that comes in waves, usually starts and ends suddenly, and is often severe
■ Localized pain is pain in only one area of the belly. The child may be having problems with their appendix, gallbladder, a hernia (twisted bowel), ovary, testicles, or stomach (ulcers)
If you observe signs like slowed growth rate, rapid weight loss, tiredness, repeated bouts of diarrhea, blood in stools, rectal pain, bloating, fevers and anemia, along with complains of abdominal cramping, IBD may be the cause. It can also cause health problems that occur outside the digestive system, like inflammation of the joints, eyes, skin, and liver.
It is essential that you call your doctor at first suspicion and ensure that your child gets proper evaluation and treatment. This may involve a Fecal Calprotectin test to determine the level of inflammation. Based on the results of this test, the doctor may recommend a further colonoscopy, endoscopy or an x-ray called Upper GI view organs, tissues, and other structures in the abdomen in detail and asses the condition’s level of progression.
Not all kinds of abdominal pain are preventable however they can be minimized by healthy eating habits, consumption of water to prevent constipation, exercising regularly, avoiding lying down too soon after eating.
If your child does indeed suffer from IBD, he or she may require special dietary monitoring and care. Diarrhea, loss of nutrients, and the side effects of drug treatment all can lead to malnutrition and hence it is important for the child to eat a proper balanced diet with adequate calories. You can encourage your child to eat small meals throughout the day to help manage symptoms.
For slightly older children going to school, either ensure that the school provides healthy meals or pack nutritious snacks and lunches so he or she will not be tempted to indulge in salty, high-fat junk food that can intensify IBD symptoms.
The author is a Vice President (South India & Sri Lanka), Metropolis Healthcare