Digestive Health in Children

Although difficulty with digestion, elimination or nutrition can interfere with everyday life and even may create life-threatening problems for your child or teen, you can find complete, top-quality care nearby, no matter where you live in Oklahoma or across the region.

Nationally-Ranked Pediatric Gastroenterology Care

At Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, your child will receive expert care from digestive health or liver conditions from one of the Top 50 Best Children's Hospitals in the nation for Pediatric Gastroenterology & GI Surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Take advantage of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, team-based approach

At Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, you and your child, teen or young adult, from newborn to 20 years of age, get access to the full spectrum of gastrointestinal tests, treatments and services, many found nowhere else in Oklahoma or the surrounding area, including clinical trials and research conducted through our academic partner, the University of Oklahoma, that helps develop innovative treatment options.

Caring for Children's Digestive Health Conditions

Trust the nationally-ranked pediatric gastroenterology specialists at Oklahoma Children’s Health to diagnose and manage gastrointestinal motility and aerodigestive disorders – in the only established program found in Oklahoma – for conditions affecting both the airway and the digestive tract, as well as liver diseases (hepatology) and a wide range of pediatric digestive health conditions such as:

• Achalasia
• Aerodigestive disorders
• Anorectal malformations
• Aspiration disorders
• Celiac disease
• Chronic abdominal pain
• Chronic diarrhea
• Chronic pancreatitis
• Constipation
• Cystic fibrosis
• Encopresis
• Eosinophilic esophagitis
• Esophageal motility disorders
• Failure to thrive (FTT)
• Feeding disorder
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding
• Gastrostomy tube feeding
• Growth problems
• Hirschsprung’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
• Intestinal rehabilitation / short gut syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Rumination syndrome/disorder
• Tracheoesophageal fistula and esophageal strictures
• Vomiting

Comprehensive Services for Children’s Digestive Health

In Oklahoma’s largest and most comprehensive program for pediatric digestive diseases, liver disorders and nutritional disorders, you’ll work with Oklahoma Children’s Health’s multidisciplinary team of children’s gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition experts who deliver advanced, evidence-based services such as:

• Endoscopic diagnostic testing, including capsule endoscopy, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, esophageal dilation
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) / reflux testing
• Gastrointestinal motility testing for problems with the function of gastrointestinal (GI) nerves and muscle, an advanced program serving the entire region available in Oklahoma only at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, one of just a few hospitals in the United States
• Hepatology and liver transplant services through Oklahoma’s only comprehensive multidisciplinary pediatric liver program, offering liver biopsy and the innovative FibroScan® ultrasound procedure for liver testing, as well as a specialized hepatitis C treatment program
• Hydrogen breath testing
• ImproveCareNow for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children, Oklahoma’s only program that participates in the national network for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, a designation that assures you of access to additional expertise
• Intestinal rehabilitation program for partial loss of intestines (short gut syndrome), another service found in Oklahoma exclusively at OU Health

Your Expert Care Team for Children's Digestive Health

When you choose Oklahoma Children’s Hospital for your child’s digestive health services, you benefit from family-focused care that includes you as a member of your child’s care team. Your OU Health team members also include board-certified pediatric gastroenterologists, hepatologists and pediatricians, as well as pediatric nutrition specialists, psychologists and speech pathologists.