Three Tips to Help Kids Manage IBS

When kids have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it can be hard to keep up with their friends and activities. IBS can cause kids to miss school, which may affect their academic development. The symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.¹

More kids than ever have IBS. Recent decades have seen an increase in the number of young people with IBS, and today about 5% of children between ages of 4 and 18 have the condition.^2,3 That means more parents than ever have questions about how to manage IBS.

For IBS Awareness Month this April, we want to share tips with parents about how to support kids with IBS. We understand how difficult it can be for these parents to watch children struggle with the effects of this chronic condition, and we want to help. With the right treatment and management, kids with IBS can get back to the friends, activities, and fun they enjoy.

1. Keep a food diary.

Certain foods may trigger symptoms of IBS. By keeping a food diary, you may be able to make connections between the foods your child eats and IBS symptoms. Some ingredients that are common IBS triggers include dairy products, fatty foods, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. Keep track of portion sizes, too, as some people with IBS feel better eating small frequent meals instead of larger ones.⁴ Before making any changes to your child’s diet, however, discuss those changes with your child’s healthcare provider.

2. Create close relationships with a care team.

Because IBS has similar symptoms as other health conditions, it’s important to get a diagnosis from a doctor and to rule out other options.⁵ If IBS is diagnosed, you’ll need to work with a healthcare provider, such as a pediatrician or a pediatric gastroenterologist, who can help your child manage IBS symptoms and recommend possible treatment, such as probiotics or medications.

Experts have found that managing the symptoms of IBS in children is most effective when it involves multidisciplinary care.⁶ You may want to consider a consultation with a dietitian to learn which foods are best for a child with IBS.⁷ As children with IBS have higher rates of depression and anxiety, a talk therapist may be a good addition to your child’s care team, too.⁸

3. Teach relaxation techniques.

Stress and anxiety can worsen IBS-related pain. One study showed that relaxation techniques can reduce the severity and frequency of children’s IBS symptoms, improving their quality of life.⁹ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a technique that can relieve the pain of IBS symptoms by changing thought patterns, and gut-directed hypnotherapy can alleviate IBS symptoms through hypnosis.⁷ Talk with your doctor about which relaxation techniques may work well for your child.

Because IBS symptoms and triggers vary from child to child, there isn’t one standard treatment plan. While that can make IBS difficult to navigate, doctors can offer valuable guidance to help parents manage their child’s symptoms and minimize their triggers. While IBS-related pain may not go away completely, the goal of treatment should be to alleviate the child’s symptoms so they can return to enjoying their full routines.⁶

Sources

[1] Symptoms & Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. November 2017. Accessed April 25, 2025.

[2] Devanarayana NM, Rajindrajith S. Irritable bowel syndrome in children: Current knowledge, challenges and opportunities. World J Gastroenterol. 2018;24(21):2211-2235. doi:10.3748/wjg.v24.i21.2211

[3] Definition & Facts for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children. National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. November 2019. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-children/definition-facts

[4] Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in Children. University of Rochester Medical Center. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P01983

[5] Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children. National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. November 2019. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-children/diagnosis

[6] Rexwinkel R, Vlieger AM, Saps M, Tabbers MM, Benninga MA. A therapeutic guide on pediatric irritable bowel syndrome and functional abdominal pain-not otherwise specified. Eur J Pediatr. 2022;181(7):2603-2617. doi:10.1007/s00431-022-04459-y

[7] Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Children. National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. November 2019. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-children/treatment

[8] Irritable Bowel Syndrome. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. Accessed April 15, 2025. https://aboutkidsgi.org/lower-gi/irritable-bowel-syndrome/

[9] Ebrahimloee, S., Masoumpoor, A., Nasiri, M. et al. The effect of Benson relaxation technique on the severity of symptoms and quality of life in children with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): a quasi-experimental study. BMC Gastroenterol 22, 547 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12876-022-02631-0