Pediatric Gastro & Hepatology developed as super specialty in pediatrics concerned with treating stomach, liver & pancreas of children from infancy until age 18. Pediatric gastroenterology and Hepatology developed as a super specialty in pediatrics concerned with treating the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas of children from infancy until age eighteen. If your child has a digestive system, liver, or nutritional problem, a pediatric gastroenterologist has the expertise to treat your child. Digestive, liver, and nutritional problems in children often are quite different from those seen in adults. Specialized training and experience in pediatric gastroenterology are important. Pediatric gastroenterologists treat children from the newborn period through the teen years. They choose to make pediatric care the core of their medical practice, which provides extensive experience specifically in the care of infants, children, and teens. What Kind of Training Do Pediatric Gastroenterologists Have? Pediatric gastroenterologists are medical doctors who have had done
5.5 years of MBBS
3 years of post graduation in Pediatrics (MD)
Additional training i.e. Fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition, including medical research and treatment of infants, children, and teens with digestive, liver, and nutritional disorders
What Types of Treatments Do Pediatric Gastroenterologists Provide? Pediatric gastroenterologists generally provide treatment for the following:
Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract
Lactose intolerance
Food allergies or intolerances
Severe or complicated gastroesophageal reflux disease (reflux or GERD)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Short bowel syndrome
Liver disease
Acute or chronic abdominal pain
Vomiting
Chronic constipation
Chronic or severe diarrhea
Pancreatic insufficiency (including cystic fibrosis) and pancreatitis
Nutritional problems (including malnutrition, failure to thrive, and obesity)
Feeding disorders
Pediatric gastroenterologists are specially trained to perform diagnostic tests of a child’s digestive system. Special instruments, such as endoscopes, are used to examine the inside of the digestive tract or obtain tissue samples (biopsies). Endoscopic procedures pediatric gastroenterologists perform include esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy. Pediatric gastroenterologists also treat bleeding, swallowing problems, or other problems encountered in the intestines. They have extensive expertise in managing nutritional problems in children, including placement and management of feeding tubes and intravenous nutrition and diagnosing and treating infants, children, and teens with liver disease.
