SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital - Mt. Vernon issued the following announcement on Sept. 7.
GI motility refers to a feature of the gastrointestinal tract that helps move food from mouth to anus in rhythmic fashion. Motility helps to digest food, absorb nutrients and keep bad bacteria from growing in the intestines. Muscles and nerves work together to make this happen. Any damage to muscles, nerves or both, either from birth or subsequently, could impair the natural mechanics of motility.
Abnormal motility can produce long standing debilitating symptoms not responding to conservative management. Symptoms include, but are not limited to, severe constipation, diarrhea, bloating and abnormality in swallowing, abdominal swelling, abdominal pain and sometimes life-threatening symptoms.
Some of the diseases related to motility disorders are intractable constipation (not responding to treatment), Hirschprung’s disease (absence of nerve cells to stimulate defecation), achalasia of the esophagus (failure of the food pipe to open during swallowing), gastroparesis (slow stomach emptying), spinal cord disease affecting bowel function, neuromuscular diseases, fecal incontinence (soiling or stool accidents), etc.
Historically, motility disorders were not among the list of top diagnoses for pediatricians and gastroenterologists. Primary reasons included lack of good tests and very expensive diagnostic equipment. With time, it became very evident that GI motility issues are more common than it was once thought and with sophisticated advance techniques, we can diagnose and help patients in need. Motility disorders in children are more commonly present from birth as opposed to adults, where they develop over time. Presenting symptoms is also different and could be challenging to diagnose due to children’s inability to describe symptoms properly.
To put things in perspective, I would like to use a common motility disorder such as constipation. Although we still do not exactly know the single most important factor that causes a child to not be able to defecate properly, we do know that there is some lack of muscle and nerve coordination. This is further supported by the fact that some children over time lose the ability to sense defecation and frequently have stool accidents in socially inappropriate places such as school and family gatherings.
The good news is that some of these diseases could be treatable by a team approach that includes the help of the child, parents, school and physician. Some treatments are simple and noninvasive such as the use of laxatives and others could require surgery and invasive procedures, depending on the diagnosis.
Some of the techniques to diagnose abnormal gastrointestinal motility are high resolution esophageal, anorectal, small bowel and colon testing, breath testing, pH probe testing for acid reflux disease and many more
Motility issues, particularly diseases causing recurrent stool or urine accidents and lots of long standing abdominal pain, could affect your child’s emotional health. Even though it is frustrating to have long standing diseases such as motility disorders, I have seen families and patients generally doing well if they have an open line of communication with doctors, teachers and providers such as physical therapists, social workers and dietitians. Physicians can help provide clear communications to schools and teachers regarding medically needed bathroom breaks as well as suggested therapies such as the administration of medications.
We are excited to announce that we are now providing tertiary motility services for pediatric and adolescent patients at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. With the addition of this full spectrum of services, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon is the region’s only pediatric hospital providing motility testing. The program provides comprehensive and thorough evaluation of these symptoms and subsequent tailored treatment on a case-by-case basis.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up