Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Is tummy trouble keeping your child out of school? It could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Is tummy trouble keeping your child out of school? It could be Irritable Bowel Syndrome

By Sandra Walsh

PUBLISHED: 19:03 EST, 23 September 2013 ' UPDATED: 03:10 EST, 24 September 2013

Debilitating: It's suggested that 20% of children suffer from IBS symptoms

The common cold regularly tops the list of reasons for school absence - no surprise there. But the second most cited cause is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

One mother who knows only too well how debilitating the condition can be is Claire McKee. Her son Elliott first developed symptoms when he started full-time at school at the age of four.

'He started getting bad tummy aches,' recalls Claire. 'Every night he would be clutching his tummy and crying in agony. I would try to cuddle him to sleep.

'In the mornings Elliott would spend ages in the loo, suffering frequent bouts of diarrhoea. It was awful watching him in pain and not being able to do anything.

'He'd be terrified he wouldn't be able to get to the loo in time at school or that his classmates would notice the smell.'

Claire's GP ordered blood tests to rule out serious digestive disorders such as coeliac and Crohn's disease. These came back clear. Elliott was then referred to a dietician, who suggested eliminating various foods to see if the problem was a food allergy or intolerance. Again the results were negative.

It was only after talking to a friend, a long-term sufferer of irritable bowel syndrome, that Claire put two and two together.

'It was a lightbulb moment,' says Claire, from Billingshurst, West Sussex. 'Elliott's symptoms matched my friend's almost exactly.'

The symptoms of IBS are triggered when muscles in the large intestine become sensitised and contract. The underlying cause is unknown, but stress can be a trigger.

'I realised Elliott's problems had coincided with him starting full-time at school,' says Claire. 'He didn't get on with his new teacher and that's when it began.

'Yet when we'd gone to Portugal in the school holidays, the symptoms disappeared.

'It was a relief to realise that Elliott didn't have some horrible illness, but a shock to find out there was no cure.'

While as many as one adult in three will suffer from IBS at some point, many don't realise children can also be affected. Indeed, one study suggested that 20 per cent of children suffer from IBS symptoms. The peak ages are from four to 12.

So how can parents tell if their child has a simple tummy ache or IBS?
Surprising: The second most cited cause for school absence is IBS

Surprising: The second most cited cause for school absence is IBS

'Most children will have bowel upsets and tummy aches when they're having a stressful time but it usually goes away,' says Professor Nick Read, a gastroenterologist and adviser to the IBS Network.

'To be diagnosed with IBS requires symptoms going on for a month or two.'

Children should first be screened for coeliac and Crohn's. 'Once these have been ruled out, IBS is the usual diagnosis,' he says. 'Children don't suddenly get IBS at 15; they've probably always had it but it was put down to "toddler diarrhoea" or tummy troubles.

'The problem is that IBS is simply a name for a collection of symptoms that have no medical cause.'

One theory is that because IBS tends to be more common in the West, our diets, high in refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cakes and pasta, may play a part.

There are certain predisposing factors, adds Dr Aminda De Silva, a gastroenterologist at the Royal Berkshire hospital. 'Gastrointestinal infections are one, dietary sensitivities another, but the key thing is stress.'

Although there is no cure, there is plenty you can do to help, says Professor Read. 'The doctor must try to understand the child and find out the cause of the stress. This might mean working with the parents.'

For adults, guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) suggest hypnotherapy or counselling, and while they don't specifically refer to children under 18, 'there's good evidence that these are helpful', he adds. 'The key is getting teenagers to understand what's happening in their lives to make the symptoms happen.'
Precautions: If you suspect your child might have IBS, have them screened first for coeliac and Crohn's

Precautions: If you suspect your child might have IBS, have them screened first for coeliac and Crohn's

Children with IBS often dread going to school and live in fear of their friends finding out, says Michael Mahoney, a hypnotherapist with 25 years' experience who specialises in IBS and works with children in the North-West via GP referral.

'One main fear is that they won't be able to get to the loo in time, and that can make them fearful of leaving the house at all.

'It's usually safe to say that the symptoms are learned responses and perhaps began as a result of previous gastro-intestinal upset, but lingered on.'

Mr Mahoney adds: 'Sometimes the symptoms could also be a subconscious way for the child to obtain focus on themselves. Parents of younger children, especially, may actually contribute to symptoms continuing.

'I try to teach children that every thought has a physical response, and that they can learn to get rid of negative thoughts to reduce anxiety and IBS symptoms.'

Children with IBS are often advised to change their diet as some foods can trigger an attack, perhaps because they are harder to digest. They should also avoid caffeine, found in some fizzy drinks, which elevates the stress hormone cortisol.

Dr Peter Irving, a gastroenterologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and The London Clinic, has had promising results with a diet devised in Australia. The 'Low Fodmap' diet restricts foods containing poorly absorbed sugars called FODMAPs.

'It works on the principle that not all sugars can be absorbed within the small intestine,' says Dr Irving.

'As a result, they are rapidly fermented by bacteria in the bowel which draws in fluid and produces gas.

'This can cause symptoms including bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.'

Foods containing FODMAPs include honey, apples, pears, stone fruit such as peaches, onions, garlic, cabbage, beans and sweeteners such as sorbitol.

Research at King's College Hospital found that 75 per cent of those on the diet saw their symptoms improve.

Elliott, now 12, has learnt to manage his symptoms through trial and error. Certain foods, such as apples, seem to make matters worse, so he avoids these. 'He's doing well,' says Claire.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2430193/Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome-cause-childs-tummy-trouble.html#ixzz2fw5eKZQP

Michael Mahoney's hypnotherapy program for children with IBS

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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