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Home › Articles › Health › Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

How to Help Your Child
Through IBS

By Jacqueline Bodnar

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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is believed to be one of the most common disorders that doctors see.

It is believed that around 15 percent of high-school-aged adolescents suffer from IBS and up to 10 percent of middle-school-aged children do as well. This disorder is the cause of quite a few missed school days each year, yet it's not something most people are comfortable talking openly about.

As hard as it is for adults to talk about, it's even harder for a child. Parents can take some steps to help their children with IBS by understanding what it is, what causes it and the best treatment options.

IBS Defined
"Irritable bowel syndrome falls in a broader category of disorders called functional bowel disease," says Dr. Benjamin Gold, associate professor of pediatrics and microbiology and director of the division of pediatric gastroenterology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga. "There are sets of either upper or lower gastrointestinal symptoms and signs which can cause significant negative impact on the child's quality of life and can impact the functioning of the whole family unit."

In truth, IBS is a functional disorder that leaves many people with abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and sometimes constipation. The classic definition, according to Dr. Gold, is having three attacks of pain during a three-month period with them being severe enough to affect activities and having no organic cause that is identified.

The condition is not believed to increase the risk of colon cancer and does not cause an inflammation in the bowel tissue. Oftentimes the symptoms are brought on by stress. Research shows that females are two to three times more likely to get the condition and that the symptoms appear to be worse during menstruation.

"Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized as a brain-gut dysfunction, which means that the brain-gut interaction of people with IBS influences their bowel pain perception and motility," says Heather Van Vorous, author of Eating for IBS: 175 Delicious, Nutritious,, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy (Marlowe & Company, 2000) and The First Year IBS: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Marlowe & Company, 2001). She also is the president of HelpforIBS.com

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