Upper endoscopy for children
pediatric upper endoscopy · child gastroscopy · EGD for children · pediatric endoscopy
The doctor looks at your child's food pipe, stomach, and the start of the small bowel with a thin, flexible tube with a camera, passed through the mouth.
For frequent belly pain, vomiting, possible gastritis or an ulcer, a swallowed object, bleeding, or poor weight gain.
⏱ Duration: the procedure itself usually takes 5 to 15 minutes; after sedation, about an hour of observation; the report usually right away
Be sure to tell your doctor
How to prepare
- Food. Usually no food for 6 hours and no drinks for 2 hours. For babies, the times may be shorter. Check with the clinic.
- Sedation. Children usually have the test while asleep. The anesthesiologist will explain in advance how it works.
- Talk. Explain to your child in simple words: the doctor will look at the tummy with a tiny camera while they sleep.
What to bring
- The referral
- Past tests and reports
- A favorite toy
- A change of clothes and water for after
How it goes
- Your child is weighed, and the anesthesiologist talks with them
- Usually one parent stays with the child while they fall asleep
- Your child falls asleep through a mask or with medicine into a vein
- The doctor passes a thin tube through the mouth
- The food pipe, stomach, and bowel are checked, and a small tissue sample is taken if needed
- Your child wakes up in the recovery room, and you are called in
What you'll feel
- While asleep, your child feels nothing
- Afterward, your child may be sleepy or fussy, and the throat may feel scratchy
- Sometimes there is mild nausea
Afterwards
- Your child can usually drink and eat after 1 to 2 hours. Start with water
- Your child may be drowsy until evening. That is normal
- The report usually right away, biopsy results in 1 to 2 weeks
Contact a doctor straight away if
- Vomiting blood or black stools: call emergency services
- Severe pain in the belly or chest, or trouble breathing: call emergency services
- A high fever in the first 24 hours: tell your doctor
Common questions
Can I stay with my child?
Usually a parent stays while the child falls asleep and is nearby when they wake up. Ask the clinic about its rules.
Can it be done without anesthesia?
Teens sometimes have it with a throat spray while awake. Young children are usually asleep.