Belly-aches may be ulcer

              The "belly - aches," which have been causing your child so much trouble lately, may be due to an ulcer.
The president - elect of the American College of Gastroenterology said here Monday that children have ulcers just like grownups.
1'Particularly the child who worries or the youngster, who believes he is unloved." added Dr. Joseph Shaiken, Milwaukee, Wis. He is associate professor of medicine at Marquette University School of Medicine.
Dr. Shaiken was chosen president - elect of the American College of Gastroenterology as the 23rd annual convention of the college got under way at the Jung hotel. Dr. Frank J. Bor-reli, New York city, took over as president while two New Orleans gastroenterologists were accorded new posts. They are Dr. Louis Ochs Jr., elected a vice - president, and Dr. William Fisher, elected a govern^
or.
In other highlights of Monday's sessions, gastroenterologists said:
1. The hiccoughs, from which the late Pope Pius XII was suffering just prior to his fatal stroke, were caused by an esophogeal hiatus  hernia.
2. Since cancer of the stom-
cause teen-agers are proverbially iting physician. He said treat-hungry most of the time and arejment includes diet, medication, invariably   eating   most   of   thei
—Photo by The Times-Picayune. AT *AN  INFORMAL  GET-TOGETHER  during Monday's opening of the convention of the American College of Gastroenterology are, from left, Dr. William Fisher, New Orleans, newly elected governor of the college; Dr. Joseph  Shaiken,  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  presidentelect;j Dr. Frank J. Borelli, New York, president; Dr. C. Wilmer Wirts, Philadelphia, Pa., outgoing president and chairman of the board, and Dr. Louis Ochs Jr., New Orleans, a vice-presj ident. The  physician   said  the  teen-
ager is difficult to diagnose,^ be-
X-ray examinations, said the vis-
time.
first initimatio
ach, does not always show up | Co    lication.>> i    Xrays   such symptoms  as!            Mil
'Since the pain goes away with food, a teen-ager, may suffer from an undetected ulcer for quite a while," Dr. Shaiken added. "The first initimation may be a serious
 ation.
 Milwaukee gastroenterolo- people can be
'Then," said Dr. Shaiken, "there are the esophogeal symptoms-such as distress in the lower chest and difficulty in swallow  F          hd thi
ing.
in X-rays,  such symptoms  as j
loss of weight, loss of appetite
and change in food habits should, ^ aBd nervous too."
be regarded with suspicion.           WORRY OVER PROBLEMS
to regain weight, which some .^ fe due fo & famlly atuatI0O_ ^ ^ he su{fered shortly times follows  an ulcer opera   children from broken homes are tion,  can  usually be  counter*,                      to ^^^ the phy-
elimination of smoking.   But although all of this helps with theijP™ "? £ cure, added Dr. Shaiken, no cure]0' will last unless some attention is paid   to   the   child's   emotional problems.
The gastroenterologist said the hiatus hernia, from which the late Pope Pius XII was suffering is more common than people realize. He said the Holy Father had an attack of hiatus hernia several
The Holy Father had this swallowing and had to *ht liquid or semi-the attack was
tion,   can   u&uoiiy   u*  w-«v~- | often subject to ulcers," ine pny-acted through the use of antl";|sician added.   "Sometimes   they
bio tics.
 n added.     Some               y
 worried over school problems,  ih    lt
iuuw.                                         pare worriea over scum-u piuuiciiid,
In discussing ulcers in children, jover difficulties with  playmates.
Dr Shaiken said an ulcer may be ~
suspected "if a child has a 'belly-
jache' every few days;> particularly
lit it occurs at night."                +
I   The   visiting   gastroenterotogist
said many youngsters are being
treated for various abdominal dis-
irbances when they actually have an ulcer. He said even doctors don't realize "how many Mds have ulcers."
"Even in youngsters you can divide the ulcer suffers into two groups," explained Dr. Shaiken. "First, there is the very young child, who has a belly-ache no one can account for. Then there's the teen-ager who develops pain when he's hungry. When he eats 1 pain goes away."
Sometimes their worries are purely imaginary. Kids have very vivid imaginations, you know."
Dr. Shaiken said youngsters who develop ulcers are usually "very bright and very capable;" that, as a rule, they are also good students.
"For the most part," he added," these children have a tremendous need for love and affection. They usually grow up in a home where they don't get it. It may be a question of divorce or of parents fighting between themselves. Or it may be a case of cold, domineering mother."
Ulcers in children can be de tected   through   fluoroscopic   and
:rom which he suffered shortly 3efore his death, was brought on :>y a subsequent attack.
"A hiatus hernia," explained Dr. Shaiken," is a disease in which a portion of the stomach travels up into the chest through the natural opening which is located there to permit the swallowing tube to come through. In hiatus hernia, (he opening becomes inelastic and is larger than it should be. '
SYMPTOMS VARY
The     gastroenterologist symptoms of   the   disease   vary;
liquid over."
The physician said treatment includes avoidance of such coarse foods, as corn on cob and raw celery, and use of medication, such medication, he explained, includes the anti-spasmodic drugs such as tincture of balladona and the antacids such as aluminum hydroxide gel. Reducing weight also helps. Dr. Shaiken said surgery is not "must," unless complications develop. He said the surgeon may cut the nerve leading to the diaphragm "which' may let Jhe diaphragm go way up," or "he may go right in and repair the
opening."
Stressing tae importance of early diagnosis of cancer of the stomach, Dr. Linn J. Boyd, director of graduate studies at the New York :City Medical school, termed the disease "insidious."
"Early diagnosis   is   difficult,"
that sometimes they produce a|ne added. "An X-ray may be sug-condition similar to a heart at- gestive of cancer. Yet X-rays are tack, with pain, pressure in the not infallible. For instance^ the chest, and shortness of breath, x-ray picture may show ulcera-Sometimes, he added, the symp- tion and you can't be sure if its toms are similar to those of gall cancer or ordinary ulcer. The bladder disease, with pain in the ;cancer itself may lie hidden deep upper abdomen or lower   chest, jn the tissues and you may miss
gas and bloating.
it entirely." PHOTO: AT *AN  INFORMAL  GET-TOGETHER  during Monday's opening of the convention of the American College of Gastroenterology are, from left, Dr. William Fisher, New Orleans, newly elected governor of the college; Dr. Joseph  Shaiken,  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  presidentelect;j Dr. Frank J. Borelli, New York, president; Dr. C. Wilmer Wirts, Philadelphia, Pa., outgoing president and chairman of the board, and Dr. Louis Ochs Jr., New Orleans, a vice-presj ident.