What is esophagitis in babies

This is a procedure done under anesthesia and passing a thin flexible tube with camera down from the mouth into the esophagus, stomach and initial part of the small intestine. During the procedure the physician might see abnormalities in the esophagus like deep lines called furrows, rings or collection of white spots usually allergic cells or the esophagus can even look normal.

The tissue samples from the esophagus are examined under the microscope for allergic cells called eosinophils. The child might get an X-ray called an Upper GI or Barium esophagram to make sure there is no narrowing of the esophagus and rule out other conditions that can affect the esophagus. The treatment usually involves dietary changes. This might mean eliminating foods that a child is allergic to. Allergy testing can help in identifying foods that are problematic.

The child might need to avoid one or several foods. Sometimes completely broken down formulas called amino-acid based formulas can be given to a child if they are allergic to multiple foods or have poor growth.

Medications are considered if dietary therapy fails or is not feasible. These include proton pump inhibitors and oral and topical corticosteroids.

Nineteen years ago, Deion was born prematurely and developed eosinophilic esophagitis and acid reflux, along with failure to thrive. For years, he endured environmentally influenced intestinal issues that he and his family didn't understand until they met Children's National specialists who "never gave up on us. Our multidisciplinary clinic provides a collaborative and comprehensive evaluation for children diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis EoE.

Our pediatric otolaryngology experts diagnose and treat a wide range of pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders. He or she may then refer you either to a pediatric gastroenterologist or allergist for further evaluation. The only way to diagnose EoE is by a biopsy of the esophagus, performed by a gastroenterologist. The child is sedated and the physician inserts an endoscope into the mouth and through the esophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestine, where a small sample of tissue is taken.

Sometimes, the gastroenterologist can see signs of EoE in the esophagus, such as "rings" or "white plaques. Therefore, it is critical to obtain an esophageal biopsy sample. Typical allergy tests, such as skin or blood tests that identify immediate allergic reactions, are not usually effective for diagnosis of eosinophilic esophagitis because the allergic reacting involved in EoE is often delayed several days after an allergen is introduced. Skin patch test is often more insightful, but is not routinely offered by most allergists.

Both tests are guidelines on how to introduce foods but like all tests nothing is percent predictive. Almost always the underlying cause of eosinophilic esophagitis is a food allergy. A gastroenterologist or allergist may implement dietary restrictions to pinpoint the food that triggers the allergic response. The most commonly involved foods include:. However, almost all foods have been implicated. Some patients may simply be allergic to a single food while others may be allergic to many foods.

Because allergy tests are often unable to determine the causative foods, complete elimination of all foods may be required. In these cases, patients must be placed on a strict elemental formula for one to three months in order to heal the esophagus.

After this, foods are slowly reintroduced in an attempt to discover the food s causing the allergy. Repeat endoscopy with biopsy is often necessary. Several medications have been tried including corticosteroids.

While these medicines reduce esophageal inflammation, when withdrawn, the disease recurs. With diet modifications — and possibly some lifestyle adaptations that center around food — your child will thrive and have the ability to live a very full life, even if his or her EoE never completely goes away.

However, we don't know the long-term effects of EoE. It is usually caused by a food allergy and can affect your child's ability to eat, both physically a swollen esophagus makes it hard for food to go down and psychologically a child may grow to associate eating with discomfort. Children with eosinophilic esophagitis develop inflammation and swelling in the esophagus. The inflammation can lead to a variety of symptoms ranging from discomfort with feeds to vomiting and food impaction.

While each child may experience symptoms differently, common signs of eosinophilic esophagitis include:. It's important to remember that none of these symptoms points definitively to eosinophilic esophagitis and many of the symptoms can overlap with other conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease. While eosinophilic esophagitis is most common in children with other allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema, and classic food allergies , it can also occur in healthy children and adults.

That's why it's important that your child is diagnosed by specialists who have a lot of experience with eosinophilic esophagitis and how it appears in children. Eosinophilic esophagitis is an allergic condition that most often involves a reaction to food.

Foods that are most commonly associated with eosinophilic esophagitis include milk and other dairy products, wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.