Gastroparesis

What is gastroparesis?

Gastroparesis affects how the stomach empties food into the small intestine after eating. In this disorder, food exits the stomach into the intestine very slowly. This can lead to bothersome symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, feeling full very quickly, abdominal pain, and weight loss.

Why do kids get gastroparesis?

There are multiple reasons for gastroparesis in children. Common causes include viral infections, metabolic disorders like diabetes, a complication from some surgeries, or a side effect of some medications. However, often an underlying reason for gastroparesis is not found.

How is gastroparesis diagnosed?

If your child has symptoms of gastroparesis, their doctor might order some testing to gather more information. First, the doctor may check to make sure nothing is blocking the stomach from emptying. This is usually done with an upper gastrointestinal (GI) study, an X-ray test that looks at your child’s esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. The doctor also may perform an endoscopy, in which a small tube with a camera is inserted through the mouth and esophagus and into the stomach. An endoscopy allows the doctor to look inside your child’s stomach to make sure it looks healthy.
A gastric emptying study is used to confirm a diagnosis of gastroparesis. This is a special test where patients eat a meal of scrambled eggs, toast and strawberry jelly, and water. The eggs contain a very small amount of radioactive substance that can be seen in images of your child’s GI tract taken after the meal is eaten. These images help your child’s doctor measure how long it takes for food to exit your child’s stomach.

How is gastroparesis treated?

There are many ways to treat gastroparesis. An easy place to start is simple modification of your child’s diet. This includes eating smaller and more frequent meals, and avoiding foods that have a lot of fat since those can take longer to digest. There are also several medications that can help the stomach empty more easily.
In rare instances, kids who do not respond to changes in their diets and/or medications may require more invasive treatments, performed during an endoscopy or surgery. These treatments can help alleviate symptoms or allow for proper nutrition.

Does gastroparesis go away?

For most patients with gastroparesis, symptoms improve with treatment. For some patients, especially those developing symptoms after an infection, gastroparesis may eventually resolve. However, patients with other genetic or metabolic disorders may have symptoms that are more difficult to treat and last much longer or not resolve completely.

Author: Eric Gershon, MD
Reviewer: Leonel Rodriguez, MD, MS
Editor: Anthony Porto, MD
May 2025