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At the Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders Program, part of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Program at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, we diagnose and provide advanced care for children with motility disorders.
When food does not move properly through the digestive system, your child can experience uncomfortable intestinal contractions that lead to feeding difficulties increasing the risk of malnutrition, pain, reflux, vomiting, or altered bowel pattern in the form of constipation or diarrhea. Normal gastrointestinal motility involves the close coordination of nerves and muscles in the esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, and anus. Often, neurogastroenterology problems are caused by conditions involving both the gastrointestinal system and the brain, called disorders of gut–brain interactions.
Some common symptoms of these conditions include the following:
Our program’s specialists include pediatric gastroenterologists who are recognized for their expertise in treating a wide range of motility and gut–brain communication disorders, including the following:
We carefully evaluate each patient to accurately diagnose the cause of their symptoms, using newer techniques enable our team to precisely diagnose motility and gut–brain interaction disorders in children. Our program allows testing to be done in a child-friendly, outpatient setting.
We are one of the few programs in the New York region to offer certain minimally invasive diagnostic tests, including the following.
For manometry studies, thin tubes with sensors are inserted into the gastrointestinal tract. These tests measure the pressures and determine the strength of the muscular contractions within the gastrointestinal system. We perform the following types of manometry studies:
Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) is a minimally invasive device used during upper endoscopy to measure how well the stomach and esophagus can stretch and move food. It is helpful in the management of conditions such as eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia, and strictures.
With a personalized approach based on each child’s specific condition, we create a comprehensive care plan to treat the condition and provide symptom relief. We partner with specialists across Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital to address specific needs such as pulmonary and aerodigestive medicine, fecal incontinence, and surgical treatment.
Our comprehensive treatment approach includes clinical nutrition; psychology support; non-pharmacological interventions such as IB-stim, a device worn behind the ear to target the areas of the brain tied to functional abdominal pain; cognitive behavioral therapy; biofeedback; and self-hypnosis, which are performed and taught by trained practitioners based on your child’s unique concern. In addition, The Comfort Ability workshops are offered at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital to provide coping strategies for children with chronic symptoms.
Archana S. Kota, MD
Head of Patient Care
Kara G. Margolis, MD
Head of Research
Colleen Salchines, RD, CDN
Isabella Harold, RDN, CDN, CLC
Hannah Gach, BSN, RN, CPN
Felicia Schrecongost, RN
Monique Armstrong, MSW, LCSW
We are located at 160 East 32nd Street, Medical Level, #L3, in Manhattan. You can call us at 212-263-5940.
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