[Click! Health] "Our Child Complaining of Nausea, Suspect Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease"

Medical experts advise that if a child's nausea and indigestion symptoms persist for a long time, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be suspected.

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According to Professor Kim Eun-sil of the Department of Pediatrics at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, in preschool children, it is advisable to suspect GERD if there are symptoms such as ▲ vomiting more than 2 to 3 times a day ▲ discomfort after drinking milk or eating rice. For school-aged children, if they complain of ▲ upper abdominal pain after eating ▲ nausea ▲ persistent dry cough ▲ bad breath, GERD should be considered. However, if the symptoms are brief, issues such as indigestion may be suspected.

GERD is commonly known to occur in adults who frequently eat late-night snacks, drink alcohol, or smoke. However, recently, due to academic stress and dietary habits favoring spicy and greasy foods, it has also been occurring in children and adolescents. In fact, a 2019 study published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition revealed that the prevalence of GERD in children and adolescents is about 30%.

Most children and adolescents with mild symptoms do not require testing and can begin medication treatment. However, if gastrointestinal symptoms such as weight loss, vomiting, or hematemesis accompany the condition, or if symptoms do not improve despite medication, testing should be conducted. Depending on individual symptoms, tests such as gastroscopy, upper gastrointestinal series, 24-hour impedance monitoring, esophageal manometry, and abdominal ultrasound may be performed.

Professor Kim emphasized, "GERD can occur more frequently during the new school semester when academic stress and stress from adapting to new environments increase, so parents need to pay close attention. If GERD is left untreated, the child may experience discomfort for a long time and it can be mistaken for other diseases. Therefore, it is important to visit a hospital with pediatric endoscopy specialists to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment."