About Department
The Pediatric Gastroenterology department first started functioning as a unit in the Department of Gastroenterology in this institute in November 1991. Since then it has gradually expanded its clinical services and introduced a training program, and eventually reached the status of a full-fledged department in October 2005. This department has emerged as an apex center for referral in India and one of the prominent centres in Asia.
The department has evolved over time as a centre of excellence in Pediatric Gastroenterology in India providing comprehensive care for gastrointestinal, liver and nutritional disorders in children. It started the first Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Pediatric Gastroenterology course in India in 2011. Since 2001, it also offers specialized training courses in the form of a Post Doctoral Certificate Course (PDCC) in the field of Pediatric Gastroenterology. Every year 6 students (DM-2, PDCC-4) are enrolled for advanced training in Pediatric gastroenterology. Seven batches comprising of fourteen students have so far completed a formal training in DM Pediatric Gastroenterology from the institute, and the graduates are now working in various institutes in India and abroad.
The department provides state of art facilities for diagnosis and treatment of all types of gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic disorders including both elective and 24hours emergency care. The endoscopic facilities of the department is the best of its kind and include Pediatric endoscopes (both upper and lower gastrointestinal scopes), Side-viewing endoscopes, Video capsule endoscopy (VCE), Endoscopic ultrasound and Digital fluoroscope. In the laboratory front, the department has facilities for liver and urinary copper estimation by the state-of-art equipment, atomic absorption spectrometer, quantitative galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT) estimation, sweat chloride test, blood ammonia estimation etc. The department provides comprehensive diagnostic facilities for children with motility disorders by using both upper and lower gastrointestinal high-resolution manometry (HRM), impedance-pH study and H-breath analyzer. The dedicated and highly experienced interventional radiology team provides percutaneous drainage of liver abscess, stenting of hepatic veins and IVC in Budd-Chiari syndrome, transjugular liver biopsy and TIPSS. With the help of highly skilled Pediatric Surgeons and Gastrointestinal Surgeons, the department is able to provide composite care for various gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic disorders which needs surgery along with medical care such as liver tumor, chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease etc. Nutrition is an integral part of Pediatric Gastroenterology and the dedicated clinical nutrition service provides specialised disease-specific nutritional advices such as therapeutic and preventive formula for diseases like celiac disease, galactosemia, hereditary fructose intolerance, glycogen storage disease, refeeding syndrome etc.
The department has made significant contribution to research in the field of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Over the years, it has acquired national and international accreditation in the field of research. The main areas of research include portal hypertension especially extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO), treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection especially perinatally acquired HBV, autoimmune hepatitis, hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction, Wilson disease, minimal hepatic encephalopathy, liver failure including both acute and acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), and portal biliopathy in hepatology. Celiac disease, cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), constipation and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in gastroenterology and all types of pancreatic disorders including acute, recurrent acute and chronic pancreatitis.
The department has organized several national conferences in the past and includes, CME on hepatitis B and hepatitis C in children in May 2008, Foundation day CME, 26th March 2009, 22ndAnnual conference of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (PEDGASTROCON 2012), November 2-4, 2012, Update on Therapeutic Nutrition in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, December 7, 2014, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology Update, December 8-9, 2018.