What Is Malabsorption In Children?

Doctors begin to suspect malabsorption when the intestinal wall does not absorb the nutrients during digestion. Malabsorption in children can cause chronic diarrhea, anemia, malnutrition, intestinal parasites or celiac disease, among other things.

To find out what is causing the malabsorption,  the doctor needs information about the medical and surgical history of the child. The disorder may be caused by a disease of the intestinal wall, previous problems with it or a major problem.

In any case, the child should also conduct some tests so that the situation can be analyzed and the child can get a good diagnosis. Next, we’ll show you some guidelines to follow:

Characteristics of the digestive process

The digestive process is responsible for converting the nutrients from food into small particles. These enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. From here, any cell in the body can get what it needs in order to function properly. 

For children with malabsorption, these nutrients leave their body through the stool. 

While viruses can also cause diarrhea and poor absorption of nutrients, malabsorption has other causes. Therefore, if your child suffers from prolonged diarrhea, you should go to the pediatrician, as soon as possible.

Symptoms of malabsorption in children

There are two obvious signs: abdominal pain and running, soft stools with a strong odor. If not treated properly, your baby will be prone to infections, fractures and weak skin.

In fact, this is true both in the short and long term. Among other things, it can make your child’s body weak so he or she can not defend themselves very well.

Malabsorption in children can also cause mood swings. This is understandable because they are constantly feeling uncomfortably comfortable. Children also feel irritable, restless and drowsy.

Furthermore,  the severe symptoms do not begin after just 2-3 days. Clinical studies have shown that severe problems can occur after a week or 10 days if the stool is still soft and there is still abdominal pain.

Diagnosis and treatment of malabsorption in children

It is a very lengthy process, for both parents and children, to find the cause of the malabsorption. Sometimes, the child even has to have an intestinal biopsy done to check for diseases. 

Furthermore, it is possible to confirm intestinal lesions from bacteria, without fully understanding the causes. In any case, the first thing the pediatrician will ask for is a stool sample. The doctor will look for fats in the sample.

Various tests

Another possible test is the Schillin test,  which focuses on malabsorption of vitamin B12, or the breath test. The latter determines whether the child has an intolerance to milk (lactose intolerance).

Your doctor will continue to perform tests until he or she finds the cause of the malabsorption. For example, a sweat test can determine if a child has cystic fibrosis. That is, there is a lack of enzymes that are important for digestion.

In more severe cases, children need to be hospitalized to find out what is causing the problem. As long as you do not know the cause, you need to keep your child on a strict diet.

However, your pediatrician needs to tell you whether or not your child should stop consuming dairy products. The doctor will also tell you what your child should eat so that you can avoid aggravating the condition.

Effective treatment

Once the pediatrician has decided what the malabsorption responds to, he or she may prescribe a treatment. 

What could be the ultimate cause of malabsorption in children? The simplest cause will be bacteria in the intestinal wall. It can be treated with antibiotics and you will see results in a few days.

Another possible cause and treatment of this problem is an overly active gut. 

For this problem, your pediatrician will prescribe medication that will counteract excessive activity in the gut. Thus, the food will have time to be digested and the body can, thus, absorb the nutrients.

Finally, malabsorption in children can be a serious problem if you do not find the cause and treat it in time. For those who suffer from this condition and do not know the cause,  it is best to eat foods that are easy to absorb.