Short gut syndrome and your child
Short gut syndrome (also called short bowel or intestinal failure) means your child’s small intestine is damaged. They can’t absorb enough of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive through food and liquid. Some symptoms they may experience include severe diarrhea and weight loss.
Short gut is caused by diseases that cause severe damage to the small intestine, such as Crohn’s disease, malformation of the intestine or necrotising enterocolitis. Often these diseases mean a portion of the small bowel has to be removed through surgery.
The survival of children with intestinal failure is improving. With strong support from you, your child’s gastroenterology team, the healthcare system, your child will be supported to grow, gain weight and be active. They may need lifelong treatment to do this including:
a special diet – including foods that are high in kilojoules and nutrients, low in fat and low in residue
vitamin and mineral supplements
medication to slow their bowel movements
bile salt-binding medication
medication to reduce stomach acid, if needed
in severe cases, special fluids containing nutrients may be injected directly into the vein (IV treatment)
in severe cases, a small intestine transplant operation may be considered.
There are some great websites with detailed information, such as:
