Endoscopy and Colonoscopy in Children

At what age should endoscopy be performed on children?

Actually endoscopy or colonoscopy does not have an age. Endoscopy can be performed on any children, from newborn to infants. Only indications differ from the adults.

For example, the most common cause of endoscopy or colonoscopy on a newborn is serious stomach or intestine hemorrhage that can cause changes in hemoglobin or vital signs. I am saying "serious" because most of the hemorrhage that does not cause changes in hemoglobin or vital signs at this age group is due to food allergy. Diet is applied for these first, if it does not recover, endoscopic evaluation is performed. Besides hemorrhages, chronic diarrheas are a frequent cause of endoscopy on nurslings. For example, while endoscopy is frequently performed in adults due to reflux, in nurslings it is not performed if the vomiting volume is not high, no retardation in weight gaining, if there is no vomiting that may cause aspiration risk, if there is no decline of eating (which, if exists, associates with inflammation in esophagus and endoscopy is required then).  To sum it up, endoscopy performed on any children, including newborn, that has stomach/intestine complaints.