140,000 children under the age of 21 have IBD, according to Athos Bousvaros, M.D, past Chairperson of Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. “We can’t prove it yet, but the incidence of IBD among children and adolescents appears to be increasing dramatically,” said Athos in a 2006, newsletter published by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
More and more children and infants, even less than a year of age, are showing up at their pediatric gastroenterologist with Crohn’s or colitis. The sad truth associated with this upswing is that Crohn’s and Colitis are chronic diseases. There is no cure and once children present with symptoms of either disease they are in for a lifetime of Crohn’s and Colitis management.
Adult’s learning to understand and cope with Crohn’s, Colitis, and IBD is difficult and requires constant vigil and learning. Kids with either of these diseases must learn to deal with dietary, physical, and social issues. They will likely be required to take medication, which will be managed by a parent. These kids will endure unexpected bowel habits, including pain and bloating which they cannot understand. Because they look healthy, parents face a challenge when educating teachers and school administrators about the disease without bringing embarrassment to their child.
Many parents of kids with Crohn’s, Colitis, or IBD, with advanced symptoms find it easier socially, physically, and emotionally to homeschool their child. Frequent hospitalizations, monthly or bi-monthly infusions of Remicade or other medications, and unpredictable pain in the belly and referral pain throughout the body can keep kids out of school so often they find it difficult to keep up and cope. For these kids homeschool provides a healthy alternative.
Kid’s events for Crohn’s, Colitis, and IBD patients are not all that common. However, many state chapters of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, like Georgia, sponsor camps and other events for kids with similar problems. Their goal is to create a non-threatening environment for Crohn’s kids to just be kids. The worries of medications and flare-ups are managed by a volunteer staff of doctors, nurses, and sympathetic adults many of whom have Crohn’s or Colitis.
The cause of Crohn’s and Colitis are unknown, however the increased incidence of these chronic diseases in children lead researchers to believe that subtle changes in our world’s microbial environment may be providing a more optimal environment within certain individuals to be susceptible to the diseases.
Kids with Crohn’s, Colitis, or IBD face significant challenges that their peers may never understand. Kids who develop a can-do attitude and work with their parents and doctors can work to lead a normal life.
As research continues, there is always hope for a cure. New medications continue to be brought into the field of gastroenterology, though they are often slower to be used by kids, many of these medications offer promise of greater symptom control.
Crohn’s and Colitis education helps foundations like the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America by heightening public awareness, which assists them in raising funds to continue research, education, and support for Crohn’s and Colitis patients.
Resources:
Anonymous Parents of Children with Crohn’s, Colitis, and IBD. Jan 2008 – April 2008.
Crane, Margaret W. “The Pain and Promise of Youth: Renewing Our Commitment to Pediatric Research.” Under the Microscope: Research News Bulletin from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, Spring 2006.
