7 Motility disorders in childhood

Motility disorders are very common in childhood, causing a number of gastrointestinal symptoms: recurrent vomiting, abdominal pain and distension, constipation and obstipation, and loose stools. The disorders result from disturbances of gut motor control mechanisms caused by either intrinsic disease of nerve and muscle, central nervous system dysfunction or perturbation of the humoral environment in which they operate. Intrinsic gut motor disease and central nervous system disorder are most usually congenital in origin, and alterations of the humoral environment acquired. Irritable bowel syndrome occurs in children as well as adults and is multifactorial in origin, with an interplay of psychogenic and organic disorders.