Gastroenterology & Hepatology - Paediatric
Paediatric gastroenterologists and hepatologists at Narayana Health take care of a wide range of both simple and complex GI, liver, and pancreatic diseases in children. The paediatric gastroenterology specialists at NH have extensive experience in their fields and are assisted by a team of highly trained medical staff and are backed by excellent medical infrastructure. Some of the common issues treated by the team at NH include-
- Chronic Diarrhoea
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Polyps
- Crohn’s disease
- Liver and pancreatic abnormalities
- Constipation
- Motility disorders
- GI reflux
At Narayana Health, we combine a multidisciplinary approach and personalized experience for each patient, research-based treatment and the latest diagnostic methods.
Gut Health for children:
A healthy diet for kids starts with getting the right nutritious food at the right time. This generally means having 3 proper meals in a day including healthy snacks and sufficient water in the body throughout the day. Proper digestion can also be seen by a parent when the child has a proper bowel movement. Which means, the regular bowel movement must be noticed too. This differs, depending upon the kid’s physical activity, health, and wellbeing. It can be twice a day or once a week, a parent’s duty is to check the frequency of their kids. As long as the consistency is maintained in your child, they will never be in pain, their digestive system will be great. You will not require any professional health specialist to look out the matter.
Common & Normal Digestive Issues Kids Face:
Children can face an array of digestive issues throughout their growth, some are temporary, while some may remain permanent, if not treated well. Here are a few very common issues, that are probably the initial phase, which if treated on time, will not lead to any digestive problem in them.
1. Abdominal Pain
Pain in the stomach if occurs frequently is a warning sign. This can start from constipation, abdominal pain to abdominal migraines, and so on. Nearly half a population in the Pediatric gastroenterology clinic visit for the issue of constipation.
2. Toddler Diarrhea
Young children are keen to try new food and drink, and the mixture might result in serious health conditions in them. Especially if the sugar intake is more in their body due to different juice consumption, it leads to Diarrhea problems. Toddlers with diarrhea are sure to experience abdominal pain, discomfort, and heavy constipation too.
3. Reflux
Spitting and salivating seems to be very common in newborn and children. Many babies do it frequently, and this might become a problem. It will lead to babies not gaining weight and the nutrients intake is not reaching the digestive system of the babies. In the infant, the reflux problem can take up serious conditions within 4 months, if not treated well. It can be improved if proper treatment is provided and the habit is in control.
Effects of Digestive Health Disorder Parents Should Watch
Smelly Stool
Infection from any virus or bacteria may cause a problem in the intestine. A common symptom of this is a smelly stool, which can be noticed well, as it is strong and unusual. In a certain scenario, the body of your baby will be taken care of well by themselves, but sometimes, this situation gets worse. The infection can grow and lead to intestinal issues. If you notice a greasy stool, it can be a serious indication of disease that shouldn’t be treated at home.
Bloody Diarrhea
If you notice that your child’s diarrhea has blood, this can be an indication of digestive issues which is not so good to handle through home remedies. This can be an infection or another inflammable bowel disease.
Vomit
Vomiting is very common in the infant. Due to overeating, vomit happens. But sometimes the vomit color looks different, it can be green or there might be blood in their vomit. This simply means that the food is not sitting well in your child’s belly. Paying attention to the color of the vomit can help you understand their digestive condition pretty well. You can immediately contact a health professional if you notice blood or dark green vomit.
Less Frequent Bowel movement
If you notice your child having a painful bowel movement, or you feel that your child has reduced the bowel movement. This is an indication that your kid is suffering from digestive issues. If this happens to stay longer, then you need to take immediate action. Otherwise, sometimes these are temporary and happen due to change in food or drinks. If you notice the symptoms exceedingly more than 2 weeks, you must reach out to a pediatrician.
If you feel that the condition of your child is the same as mentioned above, you have to take serious action against it. Your child's health condition will be at stake if it is not treated on time, these are digestive problems that will lead to pain and discomfort in their growth.
Gastroenterology & Hepatology - Paediatric FAQs
Why should I choose Narayana Health for the Gastroenterology treatment of my child?
We have been serving and taking enough care, by providing adequate treatment, care, and nutrition for the pediatric digestive system and other disorders. Our health experts treat children of all ages, be it a newborn or an adult. With the latest technology and equipment our treatments are quick and satisfactory. We provide enough care for children suffering from any condition, be it diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, liver disorder and so on. Our specialist works closely with the children, proper interaction is provided to learn the behavior and health of the child closely. This helps us to make a suitable decision for your child.
How often do I need to visit your clinic?
This depends entirely upon the condition of your child. We want you to know that this might take up some time, but the treatment will surely lead your child to grow and develop better. Our pediatric hepatology will ensure to set up a schedule with you according to your comfort. So, you will be able to make easy communication with us.
Will my child be okay after the treatment?
Our experts in the field have been dealing with infants, kids, and children of all ages for many years. Our latest use of clinical equipment is one reason why you will love the service we provide. We take care of our patients and so all possible medical treatment to get them rid away from digestive issues forever. You will be satisfied with the treatment at Narayana Health and your kids will be happy with the results for sure. We also ensure a follow up program is present to see how your kids health is after the treatment.
What can a GI specialist do for my child?
A gastroenterologist is a specialist who can help and assist your child with many chronic conditions. If your child is facing any serious problems like abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting, it can be treated well if you bring your kids on time. The treatment will start from diagnosing the root cause of the problem and them providing appropriate treatment based on that. We will then see how your child responds to the treatment and ensure it is ongoing.
How to prepare my child for the surgery?
Surgery is a term that everyone is scared of. Especially when its for your kids, it can be intense and a little difficult for a parent to accept it. During the surgery and post-surgery, we take enough precautions and measures to make you and your child feel comfortable. Your support will mean a lot to us during the surgery and we want you to be strong and trust the service our experts provide. Your emotional health shouldnt be affected we expect support and communication regarding:
- Prepare a list of questions about your childrens diagnosis and surgery, and seek answers from our experts
- Bring your kids favorite belongings with you, it can be toys, photos, pillows, that will provide them comfort in our clinic. Your child should be happy and acceptable with the temporary change they are noticing.
- Make sure you maintain sufficient physical and emotional comfort to your kids during the surgery and post the surgery. This will impact their health condition and make them feel secure and safe like home.
Dont let your child suffer from digestive issues when there are ways you can deal with it. Remember, a healthy child is a happy child and their growth shouldnt be restricted with health discomforts. Newborns and toddlers can speak, but you as a parent can notice the condition with the symptoms very well. Also, it is your responsibility to take immediate assistance from a healthcare gastroenterologist.
What do paediatric gastroenterologists treat?
Paediatric gastroenterologists offer treatments for a wide range of conditions, including:
- Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract
- Food allergies or intolerance
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Severe or complicated gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Liver disease
- Chronic constipation
- Short bowel syndrome
- Vomiting
- Chronic constipation
- Chronic or severe diarrhoea
- Pancreatic insufficiency and pancreatitis
- Feeding disorders and nutritional problems like obesity and malnutrition
Paediatric gastroenterologists specially deal with the diagnosis and treatment of a childs digestive system. They use special instruments like endoscopes to examine the inside of the digestive tract or conduct biopsies to obtain tissue samples. The endoscopic techniques that paediatric gastroenterologists perform also include colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
What is gastroenterology surgery?
Gastroenterology surgery is a treatment for diseases and conditions of the body parts involved in digestion, such as the oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, small and large intestine, and rectum. The surgery may be performed to remove a cancerous or noncancerous growth or a damaged part of the body. A gastroenterology surgeon can also treat a problem like a hernia in the abdomen wall. Other gastrointestinal conditions that can be treated with surgery are:
- Appendicitis or the inflammation of the appendix. It can be removed by appendectomy.
- Diverticular disease. Small pouch or pockets can sometimes develop in the colon called a diverticulum. They can become inflamed causing pain. In case someone has a lot of diverticula, bowel resection surgery may be recommended to remove that part of the intestine.
- Colon cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers
- Gallbladder disease. The gallbladder can be surgically removed by the cholecystectomy procedure when there is a problem with the organ.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Hiatal hernias. GERD can happen due to hiatal hernia when the stomach pushes through the diaphragm. A surgical procedure called fundoplication can fix it.
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Rectal prolapse
How does a paediatric gastroenterologist check the liver?
A gastroenterologist may follow the below-mentioned procedures to check the condition of the liver or related organs, such as the gallbladder or bile ducts.
- Liver biopsy to identify any damage in liver tissue. A small amount of tissue is collected from the liver and studied in the lab to check for any signs of inflammation or scarring.
- CT scan to obtain a three-dimensional picture of the liver and gallbladder. This can help in identifying gallstones, tumours, abscesses or abnormal blood vessels.
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or ERCP. This procedure can show any blockage or narrowing in the bile ducts.
- HIDA scan to check the functioning of the gallbladder or liver. In the procedure, a radioactive fluid is put into the body, which can be seen on the scan as it advances through the liver to the gallbladder and into the intestine.
- Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or MRCP. It is an imaging test in which pictures of the pancreas, bile ducts and gallbladder are obtained with the help of strong magnets.
- Sonogram to obtain a picture of the liver with the help of sound waves.
What to expect during the first appointment with a paediatric gastroenterologist?
Usually, the initial visit to a paediatric gastroenterologist takes about one hour to perform a thorough check-up of the patient history, physical exam, review of potential diagnosis and developing a plan for treatment and therapy.
- During the first appointment, you and your child will be asked about the childs current symptoms and family medical history.
- Unless advised otherwise, your child can eat normally before the appointment.
- Special tests such as X-rays or ultrasound exams may be ordered during the following visits.
- If an X-ray or radiological tests, including CT scans and MRI scans were done, you have to bring those records with you.
- Blood, urine or stool samples may also be requested during the first appointment.
