GI Kids

Help and hope for children with digestive disorders

[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

#Disgestivetopic: This educational video features #Ulcerativecolitis patients' stories & interviews https://t.co/7QTMWfitTw

[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

It's important to talk to your healthcare provider about any challenges your child encounters while managing autoimmune #hepatitis and if they have missed taking their medications.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Autoimmune #hepatitis is treated with medications called immunosuppressants to stop the immune system from attacking the #liver. This often includes initial treatment with steroids followed by long-term treatment with immunosuppressants.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

If your healthcare provider suspects your child has autoimmune #hepatitis, they will collect a sample of your child’s blood for testing. Patients with autoimmune hepatitis have elevated #liver enzymes and other blood markers.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Autoimmune #hepatitis is caused by several factors, including genetic and environmental factors. #Symptoms are often nonspecific. Patients can vary from having no symptoms (asymptomatic) to having symptoms of advanced #liver disease.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Autoimmune #hepatitis may occur either suddenly or gradually. If untreated, autoimmune hepatitis can lead to permanent #liver scarring, called cirrhosis, or liver damage.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

There are two major forms of autoimmune #hepatitis. Type 1, the more common form, tends to affect older children and adults. Type 2 is less common and affects younger #children. Blood testing can usually distinguish between the two types.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Autoimmune #hepatitis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the #liver. This causes inflammation in the liver, leading to swelling of the liver tissue and damage to liver cells.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

If your child is born with an #omphalocele, they will be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Eventually, your child will need one or more surgeries to fix the omphalocele and return the abdominal organs safely inside the abdomen.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

While #omphalocele can occur on its own, it is sometimes associated with other #genetic syndromes or chromosomal abnormalities. Some of the most common conditions include Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, congenital heart or lung defects, and more.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

If a baby has an #omphalocele, the mother may have no symptoms. However, she may have elevated alpha-fetoprotein (#AFP) levels. Genetic counseling is recommended after diagnosis.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

#Omphalocele is usually diagnosed prenatally, but can also be diagnosed postnatally. When diagnosed prenatally, an omphalocele is usually found with an ultrasound at 12 weeks, but can be detected earlier.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

While developing inside the uterus, a baby’s #abdominal organs normally come outside of its abdomen for a short time, rotate, and then return into the abdomen. When organs do not return to the abdomen properly, an omphalocele can form.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

#Omphalocele are rare and occur in about 2 out of every 10,000 live births. They develop in the first trimester of #pregnancy.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

#Omphalocele (pronounced uhm-fa-lo-seal) is a defect or hole that forms when the wall of the middle abdomen is developing. This defect allows a developing baby’s organs to come outside the #abdominal cavity.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Treatment of failure to thrive (#FTT) depends upon your #child's age, symptoms, and the underlying reason for the poor growth. The overall goal of treatment is to provide adequate calories and any other support necessary to promote #growth.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Often, the first step in treating failure to thrive (#FTT) is instituting an appropriate diet with the help of a #dietician to make certain that adequate calories are provided to allow for “catch-up” #growth for your child.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Your child's weight is the best indicator of nutritional status. If failure to thrive (#FTT) is recognized, your child's doctor will ask about symptoms, obtain a #dietary history, and perform a physical examination.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Organic failure to thrive (#FTT) refers to #growth failure that results from acute or chronic medical problems. Non-organic FTT describes growth problems that do not result from a specific underlying disease or medical condition.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

About 1% of all #children admitted to any hospital and 3-5% of those admitted to a children’s hospital have failure to thrive (#FTT). About 10% of clinic visits in urban and rural outpatient settings are for #growth and development concerns.

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[GI Kids @GIKidsOrg]

Failure to thrive (FTT) occurs when a #child is either not getting enough calories or is unable to use the calories received properly. Weight or height below the 3rd percentile for age or a progressive drop in #growth rate is considered #FTT.

Learn more: https://t.co/l0vXEVZZua