Parenteral nutrition (PN) is the intravenous administration of nutrients necessary for the maintenance of life. The nutrient components of PN include dextrose, amino acids, fat, electrolytes, multivitamins, and trace elements. Clinicians who are caring for infants and children should pay…
Tubes are an integral part of gastroenterology practice and have been used in clinical care as well as in research for more than a century. A multitude of tubes are available to allow access to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They…
Normal Growth and Body Composition in Children Age-appropriate growth is the hallmark of adequate nutrition; children with abnormal growth patterns should be evaluated for diet adequacy, organic disease, and access to food. Universally, growth can be measured objectively, but growth…
Introduction Infancy, considered as the time of birth until erect posture is assumed, is a highly vulnerable period of life, especially where nutrition is concerned. Infants have high nutrient requirements, are unable to secure food for themselves, and have immature…
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are a rare group of neoplasms, especially in children and adolescents, with an estimated incidence of 0.18 cases per million in individuals younger than 19 years of age, approximately one-tenth of that observed in adults. As…
Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation Chronic pancreatitis represents irreversible morphologic and functional changes in the pancreas from persistent or recurrent inflammation. Although an uncommon disease in childhood and adolescence, with an incidence of 4 to 13 cases per 100,000, the…
Pediatric Pancreatitis Pancreatitis is increasing in incidence and is becoming more frequently recognized in the pediatric population. Estimates of incidence are between 3.6 and 13.2 cases per 100,000 children annually. Children may present with only a single episode; however, up…
Cystic Fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disease that affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and 70,000 worldwide. CF involves multiple organ systems, and presents with varied clinical symptoms. Although pulmonary disease is the…
Buds Form and Fuse The pancreas arises early in gestation from the posterior foregut endoderm. A dorsal and a ventral bud first form before migrating and eventually fusing to form a single tissue. Specifically at day 26 of gestation, the…
Gallbladder disease in children has evolved over the last 25 years. Improved diagnostic modalities, such as abdominal ultrasound, have led to “incidental” or “silent” gallstones being detected more often in children, even in utero . Although hemolytic disease remains a…