There are several sections of the intestine, and each can have its own diseases. The intestine is usually divided in two, the small and the large intestine. The small intestine is further subdivided into the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. The large intestine is also divided into the colon and the rectum.
Constipation
Constipation is a common intestinal disease of children. It is defined as delayed or difficulty passing stools during a two-week period or more. Children with constipation have hard, large stools that are difficult and painful to pass. Children with constipation can have other symptoms, like abdominal pain and bloating, nausea and vomiting. Children with constipation can have involuntary soiling or incontinence and exhibit withholding of stool due to the pain of passing them. Constipation is a chronic problem that requires both pharmacological therapy with laxatives and psychological treatment.
Diarrhea
Most children have diarrhea due to an infection, a condition referred to as infectious gastroenteritis. Common causes of infectious diarrhea include viruses like the rotavirus, a common virus that infects children during the winter months and results in diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe dehydration in children worldwide. Other microbes that cause diarrhea include bacteria like E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella, which usually cause bloody diarrhea, fever and dehydration and can cause kidney damage and changes in mental status. Treatment for gastroenteritis involves keeping the child hydrated, by oral fluids, through intravenous administration or via a naso-gastric tube. Antibiotics for bacterial gastroenteritis are not commonly used, as they can prologue the course of the illness
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract is a common occurrence in children. It is important to determine where the bleeding is coming from to determine if a life-threatening condition exists, although severe bleeding is rare in children. The causes of gastrointestinal bleeding vary with the age of the child: newborns can have bleeding from an anal fissure, a small break in the skin around the anus, or can have a milk-protein allergy; toddlers can bleed from gastroenteritis or form intussusception, a condition in which a segment of the intestine telescopes into another segment of it, causing inflammation and tissue damage; older children can have bleeding from gastritis (inflammation of the stomach's lining), inflammatory bowel disease and infections. The diagnosis depends on the type of bleeding involved and the age, which will also determine laboratory and imaging studies to pursue and the appropriate treatment.
