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Are you worried about your child's digestive system? Does he or she seem to go to the bathroom excessively? Do they often complain of stomach pains? It's possible that those issues could just be a symptom of a temporary stomach bug. However, it's also possible that they could be a sign of a serious ailment like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Those two inflammatory bowel diseases can have long-term health consequences, so it's important that they're treated by a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. Here are a few signs that your child may have IBD:
They have persistent diarrhea. Both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis involve inflammation in the lining of the digestive system. With colitis, the inflammation is limited to the colon. With Crohn's, it can happen anywhere in the digestive system. In both cases, that inflammation can restrict the body's ability to digest food and break it down properly. Food may move quickly through the system, so your child may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. When they do go, their waste comes out as diarrhea rather than waste that has broken down by the digestive system.
They complain of stomach pains, especially after meals. As you may imagine, having an inflamed digestive system isn't comfortable. When there's food passing through the system, it can be downright painful. The pain can be exacerbated if your child has eaten spicy or greasy food. Keep track of when they complain of stomach pain. Is it after meals? What did they eat during the meal? If you can connect the dots between their pain and their last meal, then you may want to see a gastroenterologist.
They have blood in their stool. Even when they don't have cramping or diarrhea, they may exhibit other symptoms. Often the inflamed lining will tear as food moves through the system. Those tears will produce internal bleeding, which should be evident in the stool. If your child is young and you help them in the restroom, look at their stool before you flush to check for blood. If they're older and go on their own, ask them to check for red spots in the toilet.
Puberty seems delayed. This is a symptom of IBD that is specific to children. One of the biggest problems with IBD is that the digestive system isn't able to process food properly and pull essential nutrients from it. That means your child may not be getting the nutrients and vitamins they need to fuel their growth. If puberty seems to be taking too long or if their growth seems stunted and they complain of other symptoms, then IBD could be the cause.
Inflammatory bowel disease isn't curable, but it is treatable. If your child is exhibiting signs of IBD, you may want to find a gastroenterologist for information on how you can ease your child's pain.
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