Having your stomach pumped is
really unpleasant, but for some it may be more than just
a passing annoyance. How does a lifetime of diarrhea,
gas, constipation and cramps sound? A study published
in the April issue of the Journal of Pediatrics shows
that this may be the trade-off for gastric suction in
newborns. While the procedure can stop bilious vomiting
in infants born with a blockage of the intestinal tract,
this life-saving intervention may pave the way for irritable
bowel syndrome (IBS) further down the road.
The link, according to Dr
Kanwaljeet 'Sunny' Anand, a pediatrician and researcher
at the Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock,
lies in a shift in brain development that's somehow
triggered by noxious stimulation like gastric suction.
Dr Anand's research sheds light on "the longterm
impact of experiences that occur during critical windows
of early development."
To support this novel concept, Dr Anand and his colleagues
looked at the birth records of 494 American mothers
who'd delivered two or more children of normal birth
weight, at least one of whom had perinatal complications
or difficulty breathing. Among the 1,110 infants, 108
were later hospitalized for 'functional intestinal symptoms.'
Of these, 96 were compared to 116 unaffected siblings
to investigate the link between gastric suction and
intestinal difficulties.
They found that almost 23% of the 108 children had had
their stomachs pumped a few days after birth while only
11.2% of their intestinally normal siblings had also
undergone the procedure. Statistical analyses confirmed
that the control and case populations were similar in
terms of pre-birth complications and the incidence of
breathing difficulties after birth, and that family
medical history did not play a role.
Compared with their siblings, infants who underwent
gastric suctioning had an almost three-fold increased
risk of developing an intestinal disorder, even years
later. The researchers believed that adverse conditions
in early life may trigger altered brain development,
causing disorders like visceral hypersensitivity --
a heightened sensory network. This is thought to be
one of the underlying roots of functional intestinal
disorders, such as IBS, which is estimated to afflict
one in five Canadians.
One of them is Jeffrey Roberts. "As a very young
child I had my stomach pumped after ingesting a large
quantity of medication. I have always believed that
this event contributed to my own development of IBS,"
said Mr Roberts, president and founder of the IBS Association/IBS
Self Help Group of Canada.
What will be the outcome of this latest research? According
to an editorial that accompanies the Journal of Pediatrics
paper, while it's still too early to recommend modifications
in the care of newborns, avoiding unnecessary and uncomfortable
procedures in this critical time is always wise.
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