Pediatric Abdominal Pain

Chronic abdominal pain is common in children, often keeping them out of school and affecting their quality of life. Fortunately, explains pediatric gastroenterologist Vivien Nguyen, MD, diagnosing DGBIs has become more straightforward, thanks to updated guidelines, and the conditions – such as IBS and functional dyspepsia – respond to a wide range of treatments, from cognitive behavioral therapy to supplements and simple nutritional adjustments to a neurostimulation device worn behind the ear. Nguyen offers key elements of her multimodal approach as well as how she counsels families to make sure they don’t leave thinking the problem is “all in their head.”

Learning Objectives:

• Identify pain-predominant disorders of gut brain interaction (DGBI) in children
• Explain the importance of discussing pain neuroscience from the first encounter
• Describe the integrative approaches to pediatric DGBI treatment.