Is your adopted child suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)? IBS sufferers have chronic abdominal discomfort with cramping, bloating or gas, diarrhea, or constipation. The cause is unclear and there isn’t a test doctors can perform to diagnose it. Therefore, according to the Mayo clinic doctors use the Rome criteria to diagnose IBS. There are test to rule out more severe conditions that also have these symptoms, however with IBS the bowel appears normal. New research has found a connection between people with allergies and sufferers with irritable bowel syndrome.

Adoptive parents of older children should be aware of this disorder. For example, if your adopted child suffers from encopresis, could the cause be IBS? Your child may have been living with this discomfort for so long that it has become “normal” to the child. The child cannot explain the problem to you, because the child doesn’t know anything else. Encopresis is a smelly and embarrassing problem. The child isn’t going to discuss it with others and may not want the parent to discuss it with healthcare providers. I mention this because my blog-mate Julie recently shared a story about her daughter’s diagnosis with h-pylori after years of stomach and food issues.

Chicago based researchers reported that patients were three times more likely to have IBS if they suffered from an allergic condition such as hay fever, eczema, and asthma. The results are published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology in January of 2008.

IBS affects as many as one out of five Americans. Because twice as many women suffer from the disorder as men, researchers believe there may be a hormonal component. Foods, especially milk products and caffeine seem to be culprits. While stress doesn’t cause IBS, it does seem to aggravate it and make symptoms worse.

Adoptive parents, if your child is suffering from these symptoms try keeping a chart or diary of episodes. Try charting all the foods you served the child for a month to see if there is a pattern between foods consumed and episodes. Also, keep track of stressful events in your child’s life to see if there is a connection. You may try removing dairy products, or specifically lactose containing products, from your child’s diet for a month and see if it makes a difference.