Severe pediatric rumination syndrome: successful interdisciplinary inpatient management

Rumination syndrome is a condition that occurs when people constantly regurgitate and expel or reswallow food soon after they eat. The most severe cases of rumination syndrome can be debilitating, requiring total parenteral nutrition or enteral tube feedings. We report our experience with the treatment of children with severe rumination syndrome.

Five patients with severe rumination syndrome received a novel inpatient interdisciplinary approach, which involved pediatric psychology, pediatric gastroenterology, clinical nutrition, child life, therapeutic recreation, and massage therapy.

Inpatient hospitalization lasted between 9 and 13 days. The treatment was successful in all 5 of the patients. They left with complete caloric intake orally.

This treatment protocol could benefit pediatric gastroenterologists, pediatricians, and child psychologists in managing both standard and severe cases of rumination syndrome.