Management of the Most Common Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Infancy: The Middle East Expert Consensus

Frequency of Functional Constipation in Lebanese Children: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Parental Reporting

Aim: To determine the frequency and possible associated dietary and environmental factors of functional constipation (FC) among children in Lebanon followed at a single pediatric health system. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in all pediatrics clinics at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). Children aged 2-7 years presenting for a well-child visit were recruited. Data relating to the child's bowel habits and other history items were obtained from parental questionnaires. Results: The mean age of the 172 recruited participants was 4.94 years with 56.4% being males. FC was present in 32.6% of the participants. Although there was no difference in the frequency of FC based on age and gender, the peak frequency of FC was at 5 years. The daily frequency of withholding stools was 64.3%, and 46.6% of the children with FC always experienced straining while stooling for the past 2 months. Decreased physical activity and diet were not significantly associated with FC. Conclusion: The present study shows that 32.6% of children aged 2-7 years in Lebanon suffer from constipation while only 51.7% of the recruited children's physicians inquire about the child's bowel movement during the well check visit. These numbers highlight the need to raise more awareness among pediatricians on the need to screen for constipation during clinic visits as a standard of care practice.

Eating disorder in children: Impact on quality of life, with a spotlight on autism spectrum disorder

Eating behavior, which includes eating habits and preferences, frequency of eating, and other features related to diet, is a major characteristic not only of a person's nutritional status, but also of health in general. In recent years, the prevalence of eating disorders in children has tended to increase; they also require cross-system approaches in diagnosis by a variety of specialists and correction requires appropriate selection of optimal methods. Maladaptive eating attitudes formed at an early age can contribute to the formation of eating disorders, which can lead to or worsen various neuropsychiatric diseases, digestive diseases, and other related conditions. In children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), eating disorders often appear earlier than other major symptoms of the condition. However, the clinical manifestations of eating disorders in children with ASD are varied and differ in severity and duration, whereas these disorders in neurotypical children might present as short-lived and may not lead to serious consequences. Nevertheless, cases of progressive eating disorders accompanied by a child presenting as under- or overweight and/or with macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies cannot be excluded. Given the high prevalence of eating disorders in children, many researchers have highlighted the lack of a valid and universally accepted instruments to assess atypical eating behaviors in this population. Therefore, in this review, we wanted to highlight the problems and causes of eating disorders in children, and also to analyze the existing approaches to the validation of these problems, taking into account the existing behavioral features in children with ASD.

Impact of Probiotics on the Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases in the Pediatric Population

Despite the high prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders (GIDs) in infants and children, especially those categorized as functional GIDs (FGIDs), insufficient knowledge about their pathophysiology has limited both symptomatic diagnosis and the development of optimal therapies. Recent advances in the field of probiotics have made their potential use as an interesting therapeutic and preventive strategy against these disorders possible, but further efforts are still needed. In fact, there is great controversy surrounding this topic, generated by the high variety of potential probiotics strains with plausible therapeutic utility, the lack of consensus in their use as well as the few comparative studies available on probiotics that record their efficacy. Taking into account these limitations, and in the absence of clear guidelines about the dose and timeframe for successful probiotic therapy, our review aimed to evaluate current studies on potential use of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of the most common FGIDs and GIDs in the pediatric population. Furthermore, matters referring to know major action pathways and key safety recommendations for probiotic administration proposed by major pediatric health agencies shall also be discussed.