Gastroesophageal reflux in children: an underrated disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux in infants and children is a complex disease. The diagnosis in 14 operative patients was made utilizing a careful history, barium swallow, technetium radionuclide milk scan, and endoscopy with esophageal biopsy. Symptoms were intractable vomiting, failure to thrive, recurrent pneumonia, apnea, asthma and bronchitis, esophagitis, and esophageal stricture. The pernicious aspects of this disease include a potentially significant mortality in children with severe apnea episodes, increased morbidity with esophagitis, and psychosocial disruption for those children that progress to the teenage years with recurrent vomiting, rumination, heartburn and stricture formation. A high incidence of gastroesophageal reflux unresponsive to medical management was noted with esophageal atresia and neurologic disease. The Nissen fundoplication was used in all patients and proved an effective procedure with a low morbidity and recurrence rate.