Inflammatory bowel disease: The difference between children and adults

I nflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of diseases that include Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).Presenting symptoms and therapeutic options are similar in adult and pediatric patients.However, there are significant differences in the 2 populations that require separate approaches to treatment and management of the disease in children.IBD is now being recognized with increased frequency in both adults and in children of all ages.In CD, 25%-30% of patients with CD and 20% of patients with (UC) present before the age of 20.Although the peak age of onset is still in late adolescence, 4% of pediatric IBD are diagnosed in early childhood (less than 5 years of age). 1 Children with IBD are at particular risk for extraintestinal manifestations of the disease.These symptoms often have a more damaging impact in pediatric patients and can include growth failure, weight loss, anemia, joint symptoms, and delayed puberty.Therapy itself can adversely impact normal growth and development.Other issues that are unique to the pediatric patient are the lack of controlled clinical trials and the psychological issues that occur in children and adolescents with IBD.