From one of our patient’s parents:
After having children that have constant tummy aches and below average growth rates, I figured it was the least I could do as a parent to invest in their health. My daughter has immediately reaped the rewards of health, energy, and growth. She literally glows now, with no more dark circles under her eyes. She also seems to be leaner, not as puffy or irritable.
Don’t you want to be as healthy as possible? Goodness, people run miles, work out for hours; but, you are truly what you eat, so why not find out what works for your body.
Sharon L. Wilford
At the IBS Treatment Center we’ve found that children’s digestive problems are very similar to those of adults, and that the causes are generally identical.
Digestive problems often get worse as you get older, so more attention is given to adults. But that doesn’t mean that infants and children can’t suffer tremendous discomfort and disruption from their upset tummy. It really isn’t normal to have these problems, at any age.
Infants have only two ways of demonstrating their maldigestion. You either see it, or you hear it. Colic and reflux are two of the most under appreciated and misunderstood problems in infants. A healthy baby is generally a happy baby.
They cry when they are hungry, or lonely, or need a diaper change. But they shouldn’t be inconsolable.
Treating any of these problems with drugs is generally ignoring the cause of the problem. With the proper workup most babies feel much better and will have solved a problem that will benefit them for life.
The same is true for children. Children suffer from the same kinds of digestive problems as adults, but they often get treated as if they are different. Fewer drugs are used, and health care providers often down play the significance of the problem. Children may be given a diagnosis of IBS, but generally the diagnosis is kept to constipation, diarrhea, or reflux. Other words are also sometimes used, such as encopresis, or even nervous stomach.
However, children are just as susceptible as adults to food allergies and imbalances in the ecosystem of the digestive tract. These are tested for and treated in children exactly as they are in adults. The physiology is the same, only the size is different. For more information on exactly how we assess and treat digestive problems please visit our website at www.IBSTreatmentCenter.com.
(photo: commons.wikimedia)
Dr. Wangen is the founder and medical director of the IBS Treatment Center, the award winning author of two books, and a nationally recognized speaker on digestive disorders. He has been on ABC, NBC, and Fox as well as public radio, and was named one of Seattle’s Top Doctors by Seattle Magazine.