Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Procedures

What to expect from your child’s procedure

Your child’s pediatrician or gastroenterologist (a doctor who specializes in identifying and treating gastrointestinal diseases) may recommend a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy to help test for and diagnose conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. These are safe, minimally invasive procedures.

Preparing for the Procedure

When you arrive in the unit, your child will most likely be evaluated by a child life specialist and the nursing staff. Each child and family have unique concerns that we want to understand. This information will enable our staff to find ways to support your child and you during the procedure. The doctor who will be doing the procedure, as well as the anesthesiologist, will speak with you and your child before the procedure and answer any questions. A nurse will be with your child throughout the procedure and recovery.

Your child will receive medicine by an anesthesiologist by either breathing through a mask or getting medication through an intravenous (IV) tube. Your child will be asleep during this procedure.

Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition Unit, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-243-6301

What Is a Colonoscopy?

A colonoscopy is generally a safe and painless procedure that takes about 30 to 45 minutes to complete. During the procedure, a pediatric gastroenterologist uses a colonoscope to see your child’s entire colon. When your child is asleep, the endoscopist passes the colonoscope, a long, flexible tube, into the rectum and advances it through the large intestine. The doctor usually takes biopsies — small tissue samples — through the instrument. The tissue sample will be sent to the lab for further testing. 

What Is an Upper Endoscopy?

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure to diagnose conditions in the esophagus, stomach, and beginning of the small intestine. It is performed by a specially trained pediatric endoscopist. An endoscope, or scope, is a thin, flexible tube with a lens and a light source at the end, which allows images to be sent to a monitor for close inspection of the lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

The endoscopist then passes a scope through the mouth and into the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach, carefully evaluating the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (beginning of the small intestine) for ulcers, inflammation, and growths. The endoscopist will take a biopsy to test for abnormal cells. The procedure typically requires 15 to 20 minutes.

How to Prepare for Your Child’s Procedure

Depending on the type of procedure your child’s doctor has ordered, you and your child will need to follow specific instructions to prepare in advance for the procedure. You will go over these instructions with our staff members.

Magnesium Citrate Bowel Preparation

Please choose the appropriate instructions for your child’s age range and symptoms from the below list:

• For Children Ages 1 to 3 having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)
• For Children Ages 3 to 10 having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)
• For Children Ages 10 to Adult having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF) 
• For Children Ages 1 to 3 with Constipation having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)
• For Children Ages 3 to 10 with Constipation having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF) 
• For Children Ages 10 and up with Constipation having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)

Miralax Preparation

Please choose the appropriate instructions for your child’s age range from the below list:

• For Children Under Age 3 having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)
• For Children Under Age 10 having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)
• For Children Age 10 and up having Colonoscopy and/or Endoscopy (PDF)

For more information about these procedures, call us at 617-243-6301.