GI Disorders

Nutrition Therapy for GI and Digestive Disorders in Children in the St. Louis Area

Dietitian Nutritionist for Pediatric Digestive Disorders:

A pediatric dietitian on our team can be part of your medical team, working with your pediatrician and gastroenterologist to ensure your child is getting the comprehensive care and treatment they need. We provide online, outpatient nutrition therapy for children and their families as well as in-person treatment in our offices in Missouri and Illinois, near St. Louis. The medical nutrition therapy goals for pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) disorders typically focus on several key areas:

  • Promote Growth and Development: We work to ensure your child is receiving adequate nutrients to support normal growth and development.

  • Symptom Management: Individualized dietary interventions can help alleviate symptoms such as pain, diarrhea, constipation, or vomiting.

  • Nutritional Adequacy: Our children’s nutritionist will provide a balanced diet that meets your child’s specific nutritional needs, considering any dietary restrictions or intolerances.

  • Minimize Gastrointestinal Symptoms: We work to identify and avoid foods that trigger or exacerbate symptoms related to the GI disorder.

  • Support Long-Term Health: The habits we work to establish during nutrition counseling promote overall health and prevent complications or the recurrence of the disorder.

  • Education and Family Support: Education is key to sustainable recovery and digestive issues management. We work with children and their families to help them better understand the condition and provide guidance on managing the diet plan effectively.

  • Monitor and Adjust: Regular assessment of your child’s nutritional status is vital, as we will adjust the diet as needed based on ongoing evaluation and changes in the child’s condition.

Our goal is to improve your child’s quality of life, enhancing their overall well-being by addressing any nutritional deficiencies and promoting healthy eating habits.

What are the most common digestive problems in children and their symptoms?

Some of the most common digestive problems in children are:

  • Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD): Frequent spitting up or vomiting, heartburn or chest pain, difficulty swallowing or refusing to eat, coughing, wheezing, or irritability during or after feedings

  • Constipation: Infrequent bowel movements, hard, dry, pr painful stools, abdominal pain, or cramping, and feeling incomplete bowel movements

  • Diarrhea: Loose or watery stools, frequent bowel movements, abdominal cramping, dehydration such as dry mouth, fewer wet diapers, or sunken eyes in infants

  • Lactose Intolerance: Bloating, gas, diarrhea, and stomach cramps after consuming dairy

  • Food Intolerances: Reactions to certain foods such as milk, wheat, nuts to name a few that can cause digestive discomfort, diarrhea, or vomiting

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Chronic condition causing abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits triggered by stress and diet

  • Celiac Disease: An autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestines causing issues like diarrhea, weight loss and malnutrition

  • Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by infection and results in diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain

What are the symptoms of gastrointestinal disease in infants?

Gastrointestinal disease symptoms may vary in infants, but common ones include:

  • Spitting Up/Regurgitation: Common in infants due to reflux where milk comes back up after feeding. This can resolve, however, as the intestine matures. Colic: episodes of intense crying due to stomach pain or discomfort which is seen in infants 6 months old or less. This can be challenging for both the parents and the infant suffering.

  • Gas/Diarrhea/Constipation: Symptoms may include bloating, frequent or loose stools, or difficult to pass stools that may contribute to discomfort and issues with eating and nourishing the body.

  • Blood in Stool: May indicate a food allergy.

  • Poor Feeding or Refusal to Eat: babies with GI discomfort may refuse to eat resulting in inadequate weight gain.

What causes binge eating disorder?

The exact cause of BED is unknown, but there can be a variety of factors, like genetics, environmental and psychological factors, and mental illness. Frequency with on and off again dieting (yo-yo dieting) may play a part, trauma, poor self-esteem, low confidence, and life events may trigger or exacerbate binge eating behaviors.

What causes GI issues in kids?

There are several reasons a child may have GI issues including but not limited to infections (viral, bacterial, parasitic), food intolerances and allergies (lactose, gluten, or other ones such as peanuts, eggs, nuts, etc.), poor diet and dehydration, functional GI disorders (IBS, GERD), some medications, and anxiety/stress to name a few.

Does insurance cover nutrition therapy for anorexia?

We are in-network with many insurance companies. Insurance-based nutrition counseling is based on your insurance provider’s approval and specific insurance plan. We can only provide services based on what they allow, following their specific guidelines. Such perimeters include:

  • Limitations in visits

  • Requiring a certain amount of time in between appointments

  • No additional support between appointments

  • Check your medical nutrition therapy benefits here.

 

While nutritional counseling can be beneficial for various conditions, we find that, specifically for those suffering from disordered eating, continuous support and ongoing accountability is the game changer in achieving recovery.

We believe that full recovery is possible with the right support and treatment. We look forward to being part of your healing process.

Our Team of Dietitian Nutritionists in the Greater St. Louis Area

Branz Nutrition Counseling is a team of certified eating disorder dietitians who provide compassionate care to those struggling with their relationship to food. Our approach is weight-inclusive, LGBTQIA+, and social justice-oriented, which means that we believe that everyone deserves access to quality care. 

 

We can’t wait to meet you!

With locations in Illinois and Missouri, we offer both virtual and in-person counseling sessions. And, we are licensed to provide Telehealth nutrition therapy to  patients around the country.

​Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Missouri | New York | Texas | Virginia

We see clients in person in the St. Louis area, Missouri, Illinois, and from around the country via Telehealth. Learn more here.

Scroll to see the whole team.

How It Works – An Easy Three-Step Process to Get You on the Road to Recovery

Make An Appointment

What service do you need? We offer a range of appointments of different durations to best fit your needs.

Meet with your Personal Dietitian

Be paired with the dietitian nutritionist on our team and get continued support with one of our online groups. One-on-one counseling, in-person, or virtual. WE TAKE INSURANCE!

Take Control of Your Life

Heal your relationship with food and your body. Choose the best foods for your unique needs. Get the tools you need to live a healthy life. Receive continued support.

Note: In order to secure a spot on a dietitian’s schedule, we need a valid payment method on file.

Our Testimonials

Thank you for choosing us as the Best Dietitian Practice in STL (2023)

  • There have been times where my daughter will eat 4 bowls of carrots and turn down a cookie, and there have been times where she will want all the fruit snacks and nothing else, but it doesn’t stress me out because I know now that it’s just what her body wants in the moment. The information provided in your course not only helps my kids, but also opened my eyes to some of my own internal struggles around sugar and meal times!"

  • My sister Gifted this program to me and I'm so glad she did! I've already gotten so much out of watching the modules and reading the PDFs."

  • Understanding and implementing the Division of Responsibility in Feeding really takes the pressure off meal times. I love sitting down to enjoy dinner with my family and I hope it’s a memory my kids enjoy when they’re older too."

  • Also, againg, thank you for being so kind to "A". She usually does not like seeing "doctor like people", but she actually enjoys coming to see you, so that says a lot.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I can't thank you enough for all you have done for us. I know we will continue to deal with food issues but at least I see hope. I honestly don't know how L(or myself) could have got through the past year without you. You literally are a lifesaver!! You are an amazing dietitian!!.

    by Mother of a Patient

  • Thank you for the caring devoted service and gentle compassion you have shown "S" over the years.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I am truly grateful we found you to be he nutritionist. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • "For most of my life, I have correlated the size of my body to being loved and accepted. The smaller I am, the more lovable and acceptable I am. Giving up the dieting, the rules, and the noise has given me the freedom to trust, appreciate and accept love from others as well as myself".

    by

  • I truly appreciate the encouragement and hearfelt, genuine concern you have for me. Your counsel and empathy have meant a great deal and helped keep me going during difficult times.

    by C, Saint Louis, MO

  • Thanks for helping me think about food differently and providing guidance regarding how to select carbs. Also, thanks for helping me recognize that the evolution would take several months to come to a 'new normal'.

    by E, Saint Louis, MO

We Accept Insurance

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Branz Nutrition in the Media

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Nutrition Blog & Latest News

Our team of Dietitians offers online support as well as in-person appointments in MO and IL.