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Published on: October 14, 2025
Inflammatory bowel disease in Scottish children
Insights
This study on pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) found Crohn's disease (CD) cases doubled and many children experienced growth issues. Diagnosis times varied significantly between Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Research
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children often necessitates specialized care at tertiary centers.
- A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric IBD cases managed at a specific hospital over two decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases.
- To identify trends in the incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in children.
- To evaluate diagnostic delays and treatment modalities in pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of medical records for 105 children diagnosed with IBD between 1976 and 1995.
- Data collection included age at presentation, diagnosis (Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC)), time to diagnosis, treatment, relapse rates, and growth parameters.
- Statistical analysis to compare CD and UC patient groups and identify trends over time.
Main Results:
- Crohn's disease (CD) incidence doubled between 1986-1995 compared to 1975-1985; median ages of presentation were 7.9 years for CD and 8.7 years for UC.
- Median time to diagnosis was significantly longer for CD (45.8 weeks) than for UC (12.7 weeks).
- Aminosalicylates were the primary treatment; surgery was infrequent. Many patients experienced growth impairment, with low height-for-age Z scores.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly Crohn's disease (CD), shows increasing incidence and significant diagnostic delays.
- Growth impairment is a common issue in pediatric IBD patients, highlighting the need for monitoring and intervention.
- While aminosalicylates are a common treatment, outcomes regarding relapse and growth require further investigation.
Abstract:
Most children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) require specialist care in a tertiary medical centre. The records of 105 children with IBD who presented to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow between 1976 and 1995 were studied retrospectively. Fifty seven children and Crohn's disease (CD) (median age of presentation 7.9 years) and 48 had ulcerative colitis (UC) (median age of presentation 8.7 years). The number with CD doubled in the decade 1986-95 compared to 1975-85. 23% with CD and 13% with UC developed symptoms before the age of five years. Median time to diagnosis from symptom onset was 45.8 weeks for CD and 12.7 weeks for UC. Histological diagnosis was obtained in all children. The mainstay of treatment was aminosalicylates, and few children underwent surgery (CD 26%, UC 10%). Thirty percent with CD and 23% with UC had no relapses in the study period, and only one child with UC died. Growth was poorly recorded. The majority of children with CD and over 50% with UC had a height-for-age Z score below zero.
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