Pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG)
Children's Health℠ is home to the Dallas Eosinophilic GI Diseases and Esophagitis Program (DEEP) — the only program of its kind in Texas.
Pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (eo·sin·o·phil·ic - gas·tri·tis) or EG can impact your child’s health and daily life. That’s why our methodology brings together experts in pediatric gastrointestinal diseases, allergies, nutrition, and psychology to create a care plan that addresses the many complexities of this condition. This comprehensive approach gives your child the best opportunity for a healthier and happier future.
What is pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG)?
Eosinophilic gastritis (EG) is a rare disorder that causes inflammation in the stomach. This inflammation makes it hard for your child’s body to digest food and absorb nutrients.
EG is one of four eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs). EGIDs are often seen in children with other allergic disorders, such as asthma, eczema and food allergies.
In EGIDs, too many white blood cells, called eosinophils, gather in the digestive system. Eosinophils help the body respond to allergic reactions, asthma and parasitic infections. But too many of them cause swelling and discomfort.
Risk factors
EG is rare, but can affect how your child eats, grows and develops. Children with allergies, eczema, and seasonal asthma are more likely to develop EGIDs, including EG.
EGIDs affect boys and girls but are slightly more common among boys. They are also more prevalent in older children and adults.
What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG)?
How is pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG) diagnosed?
Our team comprises experts in diagnosing and treating digestive and nutrition issues in children. Your child’s comfort is always our top priority, so we use child-friendly language, equipment, and amenities to create a calm, nurturing environment for them.
To diagnose your child, we will:
Physical exam - We thoroughly review your child’s medical records, including surgeries or procedures, blood work and previous allergy testing.
Additional testing - Our next steps might involve additional blood tests, endoscopy, allergy testing and imaging. These tests help us gain a clearer picture of your child’s eosinophil levels and trigger foods.
What causes pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG)?
Pediatric experts suspect that certain food intolerances, which vary from child to child, trigger EG inflammation. However, the reason a child’s body might react to certain foods with EG inflammation remains unclear.
How is pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG) treated?
At Children’s Health, our entire team will treat your child’s EG with a custom, comprehensive plan. We often prescribe children with EG a food elimination diet, where we remove foods that may be causing allergic reactions. Then, we examine your child again through an additional endoscopy to ensure that your child’s symptoms have improved or resolved. If they have, we reintroduce the eliminated foods individually to see which food is causing the reaction.
Nutrition - These temporary nutrition plans help us pinpoint foods that trigger your child’s EG. We can then cut those foods from their diet to permanently reduce their EG inflammation over time.
Medication - Sometimes, we also introduce medications, like certain steroids, that target and ease GI inflammation. As we treat your child, we will track their progress by conducting routine testing on an ongoing basis and adjusting their medication and nutrition accordingly.
Pediatric eosinophilic gastritis (EG) doctors and providers
Our specialists are seasoned experts at diagnosing and treating EG in children. Together, we can pinpoint your child’s food allergies, and tackle their inflammation before it leads to further health problems.
Aakash Goyal, MDPediatric Gastroenterologist
Christopher Parrish, MDPediatric Allergist