Bowel Disorders Are Common After Infectious Diarrhea

Functional gastrointestinal disorders are a common and vexing problem in children. To determine whether infectious diarrhea predisposes children to these disorders, investigators conducted a multicenter cohort study involving 32 patients (mean age, 5.6 years) with documented infectious diarrhea and 32 age- and gender-matched controls who presented to the same hospital for a minor trauma or well-child visit. Data regarding patient symptoms were obtained at 1, 3, and 6 months from standardized questionnaires (using Rome III criteria).

Functional gastrointestinal disorders — including irritable bowel syndrome, functional constipation, and functional abdominal pain — were significantly more common in the diarrhea group than in controls at 1 mont…