Children with chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, unexplained diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or celiac disease may have Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, carbohydrate malabsorption, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Breath testing is often used in children, primarily to assess carbohydrate malabsorption, SIBO, fat malabsorption, and H. pylori infection. These methods are noninvasive and inexpensive. Until now, their widespread use has been hindered by the lack of standardization in children and the problem of availability. The aim of this review is to provide guidance on the usefulness of breath testing in children with various GI disorders.
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