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Evaluation of Growth in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul 34899, Türkiye.
Insights
Children with Crohn's disease showed significant growth improvements over two years. Monitoring growth parameters is crucial for managing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
- Childhood Growth and Development
Background:
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), significantly impacting children's health.
- Growth impairment is a common complication in pediatric IBD, necessitating careful monitoring and management.
- Understanding growth parameter changes is vital for assessing disease activity and treatment efficacy in pediatric IBD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate changes in anthropometric measurements and growth z-scores in children diagnosed with IBD.
- To compare growth trajectories between pediatric patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
- To assess the utility of regular growth parameter monitoring for optimizing treatment outcomes in pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of IBD patient data from 2010-2018.
- Collection of anthropometric (height, weight, BMI) and clinical/laboratory data at diagnosis and 1st/2nd year follow-up.
- Calculation of weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and growth velocity z-scores to assess growth.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age z-scores were observed in pediatric Crohn's disease patients over two years (p < 0.05).
- Growth velocity z-scores significantly increased in the second year compared to the first year for CD patients (p < 0.001).
- Pediatric ulcerative colitis patients did not show significant improvements in weight-for-age, height-for-age, or BMI-for-age z-scores over the follow-up period.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric IBD patients demonstrate improved growth parameters after a two-year follow-up, particularly those with Crohn's disease.
- Regular monitoring of anthropometric measurements alongside clinical and laboratory markers is essential for assessing treatment response.
- Optimizing growth in children with IBD requires consistent monitoring and management of their condition.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate changes in growth parameters in children diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Methods:
The data of children with IBD between 2010 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and BMI [body mass index]), and clinical and laboratory data were evaluated at diagnosis and follow-up (1st and 2nd year). Patients' growth was assessed by calculating weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and growth velocity z-scores.
Results:
Thirty-six patients (46.2%) had Crohn's disease (CD), and 42 (53.8%) had ulcerative colitis (UC). Weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age z-scores significantly increased over the follow-up period in the CD patients (p < 0.05). Growth velocity z-scores were also significantly higher in the second year compared to the first year in the CD patients (p < 0.001). Improvements in weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age z-scores were not significant over the two-year follow-up in the UC patients (p > 0.05). Growth velocity z-scores in the UC patients were higher in the second year compared to the first year, but this difference was not significant (p = 0.115).
Conclusions:
The growth parameters showed improvement after a two-year follow-up. Regular anthropometric measurements, along with clinical and laboratory markers, should be used to monitor treatment response, which can help achieve optimal growth in children with IBD.
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