Gastrointestinal Disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) | Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition | UC Davis Children's Hospital

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition of the gastrointestinal tract that can cause nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. IBS is included under the umbrella of functional gastrointestinal disorders, which is a term covering a variety of conditions of the GI tract manifested by one or more dysphoric symptoms, including chronic abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea or nausea. Despite these physical symptoms, the essential physiology for growth and development is otherwise normal.

These conditions frustrate parents and clinicians alike because there are no blood tests that diagnose them and pharmacologic treatments often fall short of relieving the problems that the child is experiencing.

Through our functional GI disorders program, our team takes a multidisclinary approach in providing comprehensive care with unique diagnostic approaches and treatments individualized to the patient’s needs. In addition to to traditional diagnostic and therapeutic options, our pediatric gastroenterologists provide expertise in motility studies of the bowel, motility testing and offer unique treatment such as medical acupunture for management of abdominal pain and other GI symptoms.