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Chronic Diarrhea in an Infant With Malrotation: A Diagnostic Dilemma
Rohit Josyabhatla1, Nina Tatevian2, Amanda S Tchakarov2
1From the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, UTHealth McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX.
Insights
Chronic diarrhea in infants presents diagnostic and management challenges. This case highlights complex evaluations for conditions beyond common causes like infections or cow milk protein intolerance.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Neonatal Medicine
Background:
- Diarrhea is a major global health issue in children, particularly under 5 years.
- Chronic diarrhea (lasting >2 weeks) in infants (<2 years) poses significant diagnostic and management difficulties.
- Common causes include infectious enteritis and cow milk protein intolerance, but rarer conditions exist.
Abstract:
In children, diarrhea has a global incidence of 2.7 episodes per child-year and contributes to significant disease burden and mortality in children under 5 years of age. Chronic diarrhea, defined as diarrhea lasting for more than 2 weeks, may be particularly challenging to evaluate and manage in children under 2 years of age. While most have infectious enteritis or cow milk protein intolerance, others have conditions such as malnutrition, anatomic abnormalities, or congenital enteropathies that can be challenging to diagnose and treat. We present here a complex case of chronic diarrhea in an infant and highlight such diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
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