Management of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children

A substantial body of literature exists on functional gastrointestinal disorders in children and on the bio-psycho-social model of clinical practice. However, the integration of these concepts into the management of children with functional disorders remains poorly defined. A satisfactory clinical outcome often depends on the clinician's ability to discern not only the biological factors in illness, but also the unique cognitive and emotional needs that pediatric patients bring to the task of healing. This book further defines bio-psycho-social theory with respect to six groups of functional disorders and illustrates, through clinical examples, concepts of management developed during 45 years of practice. This book is aimed at pediatricians, family practitioners, pediatric mental health practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners and pediatric gastroenterologists.

David R. Fleisher, MD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics (pediatric gastroenterology, specifically) at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He was previously a professor at UCLA School of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the USC School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Gastroenterological Association, and has published and lectured extensively in the areas of pediatric gastroenterology and the biopsychosocial model in pediatrics.