Paediatric gastrointestinal impairment refers to a range of disorders that can affect any part of the digestive tract – from the oesophagus and stomach to the small intestine, colon and rectum.1
Common GI disorders include:
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GORD)
- Acute or chronic diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Cows’ or soy milk allergy/intolerance
In many cases, the symptoms associated with these disorders may be managed with nutrition alone, for example in the case of GORD.1–3
Reflux affects over 50% of all babies in the first 3 months of life
The GI tract is responsible for the digestion of food. When children suffer from GI impairment, there is often a risk for malabsorption or maldigestion, which may lead to nutritional deficiencies.4
That’s why specific focus is placed on the nutritional status as optimum nutrient intake has been shown to support normal growth and development as well as improve the overall condition. For example, with children in critical care, appropriate nutrient intake is linked to a better recovery and shorter length of hospital stay.4
At Nestlé Health Science, we are committed to providing nutritional management that is tailored to the individual needs of the child. In the case of children with GI impairment, these needs are very specific to the condition, which is why we have a range of different solutions to fulfil a variety of nutritional requirements, and an optimised taste to facilitate acceptance.
