Pediatric Neurogastroenterology & Motility Disorders Program

At the Pediatric Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders Program, part of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Program at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, we diagnose and provide advanced care for children with motility disorders.

When food does not move properly through the digestive system, your child can experience uncomfortable intestinal contractions that lead to feeding difficulties, increasing the risk of malnutrition, pain, reflux, vomiting, or altered bowel pattern in the form of constipation or diarrhea. Normal gastrointestinal motility involves the close coordination of nerves and muscles in the esophagus, stomach, intestines, rectum, and anus. Often, neurogastroenterology problems are caused by conditions involving both the gastrointestinal system and the brain, called disorders of gut-brain interactions.

Some common symptoms of these conditions include the following:

  • Chronic abdominal pain or bloating
  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Chronic constipation or fecal incontinence
  • Difficulty swallowing or the sensation that food gets caught after swallowing
  • Chronic nausea
  • Chronic reflux or regurgitation
  • Chronic vomiting

Conditions We Treat

Our program’s specialists include pediatric gastroenterologists who are recognized for their expertise in treating a wide range of motility and gut-brain communication disorders, including the following:

  • Achalasia, a condition where the muscles of the esophagus do not relax properly, making it difficult to swallow food
  • Constipation, or difficulty passing stools, leading to infrequent and painful bowel movements
  • Encopresis, or difficulty controlling bowel movements, leading to accidental leaking of stools
  • Functional diarrhea
  • Gastroparesis, in which the stomach takes too long to empty into intestines, leading to slow digestion and abdominal discomfort
  • Hirschsprung disease, a condition in which missing nerve cells in the intestine can lead to problems with bowel movements
  • Intestinal dysmotility, in which impaired digestive system muscles slow or prevent the coordination of digestion, which can lead to malnutrition
  • Pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a digestive nerve or muscle problem that causes the intestines to act as if there is a blockage when there is none, causing severe digestive problems
  • Rumination syndrome, in which there is unintentional regurgitation and rechewing of food shortly after swallowing
  • Disorders of gut-brain interaction, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia, in which connections between the brain and the gastrointestinal system are altered, leading to symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and/or changes in bowel habits without a clear physical cause

Diagnosing Motility Disorders in Children

We carefully evaluate each patient to accurately diagnose the cause of their symptoms, using newer techniques that enable our team to precisely diagnose motility and gut-brain interaction disorders in children. Our program allows testing to be done in a child-friendly, outpatient setting.

We are one of the few programs in the New York region to offer certain minimally invasive diagnostic tests, including the following:

Manometry Studies

For manometry studies, thin tubes with sensors are inserted into the gastrointestinal tract. These tests measure the pressures and determine the strength of the muscular contractions within the gastrointestinal system. We perform the following types of manometry studies:

  • Esophageal manometry, which measures the strength and muscle coordination of the esophagus to help diagnose conditions such as achalasia, gastric outlet obstruction, and ineffective esophageal motility
  • Antroduodenal manometry, which measures the muscular contractions in the stomach and the small intestine to identify conditions such as gastroparesis, pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and other motility disorders of the small intestine
  • Colon manometry, which measures the strength and muscular coordination of the large intestine to help diagnose constipation and other bowel disorders
  • Anorectal manometry, which measures the muscle and nerve coordination in the rectum and anus to diagnose conditions such as Hirschsprung disease, anal achalasia, and anal sphincter abnormalities
  • 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring, which measures acid and nonacid reflux in the esophagus over 24 hours

Endoluminal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe

Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) is a minimally invasive device used during upper endoscopy to measure how well the stomach and esophagus can stretch and move food. It is helpful in the management of conditions such as eosinophilic esophagitis, achalasia, and strictures.

Creating a Personalized Treatment Plan

Using a personalized, child-centered approach, we develop comprehensive care plans tailored to each child’s specific condition and symptoms. Our team partners closely with specialists across Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital to address complex needs, including pulmonary and aerodigestive conditions, fecal incontinence, and surgical concerns.

Our multidisciplinary treatment approach integrates medical management, clinical nutrition, psychology support, and a range of nonpharmacological therapies, all coordinated within our comprehensive motility program. Care plans are individualized and designed to support both symptom relief and long-term functional improvement.

For some children and adolescents with chronic abdominal pain related to disorders of gut-brain interaction, such as IBS and functional dyspepsia, nonmedication therapies may be considered. This may include IB-Stim, a small, wearable device placed on the outer ear that delivers gentle electrical stimulation to nerves involved in gut-brain communication, which helps reduce pain sensitivity and improve symptom control. When appropriate, this therapy is incorporated alongside medical, nutritional, and behavioral health interventions.

Our team works closely with families to guide shared decision-making, determine the most appropriate therapies, and monitor progress over time. In addition, the Comfort Ability workshops are offered at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital to help children and families develop practical coping strategies for managing chronic symptoms.

Our Team

Clinical Support Team

  • Isabella Harold, RDN, CDN, CLC
  • Hannah Gach, BSN, RN, CPN
  • Felicia Schrecongost, RN
  • Monique Armstrong, MSW, LCSW

Contact Us

We are located at 160 East 32nd Street, Medical Level (L23), in Manhattan. You can call us at 212-263-5940.