[Gastrointestinal hemorrhages in children].

Gastrointestinal bleeding is not rare in paediatric practice. Always impressive to the surrounding family, they reveal an underlying affection (portal cavernous haemangioma, ulcer) or complicate a progressing disease (oesophagitis, varix). Gastrointestinal endoscopy should be made rapidly in a paediatric setting. The main causes are: before 2 years of age and over 7 years, peptic oesophagitis; from 2 to 7 years, acute lesions of the gastroduodenal mucous membrane and ulcers. Lower tract bleeding (melaena or rectal bleeding) is mainly due to anal fissures, polyps, severe inflammatory colitis and enterocolitis.