[Research progress and clinical practice considerations on assessment tools for gastroesophageal reflux disease in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Clinical Assessment Tools
• Digestive Disorders

Background:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants and young children presents diagnostic challenges due to overlapping symptoms with physiological reflux.
• Effective management requires accurate identification and assessment of GERD in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review epidemiological characteristics, clinical presentations, and impacts of GERD in children.
• To appraise the development, reliability, validity, and clinical utility of four key GERD assessment tools for infants and young children.
• To support early identification, standardized assessment, and individualized management of pediatric GERD.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive literature searches in English and Chinese databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data).
• Focused on reviewing epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, and the impact of GERD on children and families.
• Critically evaluated four principal assessment tools: I-GERQ, GSQ-I/YC, I-GERQ-R, and GIGER.

Main Results:

• The Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux Questionnaire-Revised (I-GERQ-R) demonstrates high specificity, reliability, validity, and cross-cultural applicability.
• The I-GERQ-R is recommended for symptom assessment and monitoring treatment response in pediatric GERD.
• The Gastrointestinal and Gastroesophageal Reflux Scale for Infants and Toddlers (GIGER) shows potential for comprehensive screening.

Conclusions:

• The I-GERQ-R is a valuable tool for assessing GERD in infants and young children.
• The GIGER scale offers promise for broader GERD screening applications.
• Future research should focus on developing Chinese versions of GERD questionnaires and establishing multidimensional assessment systems for pediatric GERD.