Neonatal Aerophagia Dilemma – A Gastrointestinal Functional Disorder: Role of Imaging Studies

Aerophagia is excessive swallowing of air which goes to stomach through oesophagus and causes abdominal distention. This may alert the parents of pediatric age group especially neonates and causes anxiety. Although it’s a functional condition, the clinical presentation can suggest malabsorption or obstruction, leading to unnecessary tests and investigations. We present a 15 days -old neonate who was brought to the pediatric surgical emergency with one such condition and was managed conservatively after imaging studies ruled out any underlying pathology. The case was discharged without any surgical intervention.