Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis In Children Critical To Ensure Proper Growth
Study finds sharp rise in colitis among children
The symptoms of ulcerative colitis and how severe they are can vary significantly from one person to another. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, cramps and weight loss. The medical care of people who have ulcerative colitis typically is managed by a gastroenterologist -- a doctor who specializes in diseases that affect the stomach and intestines. Your child's gastroenterologist will consider the severity of her disease and the extent of its involvement in the colon when making treatment suggestions. Many medications are available that can effectively control ulcerative colitis symptoms. One type of medication in particular that you should talk about with your daughter's doctor is corticosteroids (steroids), as they can have an effect on growth. Steroids such as prednisone or methylprednisolone can be used in children and adolescents to control the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. But this group of medications may have a negative impact on bone development, as well as other significant side effects when used long-term. Though helpful for quickly reducing inflammation, the use of steroids should be minimized in children with ulcerative colitis. When used, steroids are typically considered a short-term medication bridge to control symptoms until another, slower-acting medication can exert its full effect. Even if your daughter does not take steroids, or takes them for only a short time, it's important to have her bone density monitored regularly, as the disease itself also can cause problems with bone development. When ulcerative colitis is well-controlled, the risk of bone problems in young people is lowered considerably. read more here http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-14/news/chi-tms-mayo-ulcerative-colitis-children_1_ulcerative-colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease-medication
Oren Abramson, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara. Over the last 20 years, the region has seen a significant increase in the proportion of Asian and Hispanic residents. In this study, Asian and Hispanic children accounted for a growing share of ulcerative colitis cases over time; and in contrast to white children -- who were affected by colitis and Crohn's in roughly equal proportion -- Asian and Hispanic children were more likely to have colitis than Crohn's. In an interview, Abramson said that more studies are needed to see whether the "Westernization" of Asian and Hispanic immigrants is playing a role in children's risk of colitis. It's not clear how many Asian and Hispanic children in this study were from immigrant families, but immigration in general has accounted for a large share of California's population growth in recent years, Abramson and his colleagues note. Abramson also pointed out that a few studies have found evidence that certain immigrant groups' risk of IBD goes up after they leave their home countries -- including South Asian immigrants to the UK and Mexican immigrants to the U.S. More studies, Abramson said, are needed to see whether changes in diet, lifestyle or environmental exposures are involved in that trend. Such research, he added, should help in identifying the environmental factors important in IBD in general. The precise cause of IBD is not known, but it is thought to involve an immune system overreaction that injures the body's own intestinal tissue. In general, experts suspect that genetic susceptibility, coupled with some type of environmental trigger, cause IBD. While the current findings point to an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it is not clear how widely relevant the figures might be. But, Abramson said, "I think they would be relevant to (U.S.) areas with similar demographics." He added that the findings suggest that pediatricians should give more consideration to the possibility of IBD in Asian and Hispanic children with symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea. In general, white Americans have higher rates of colitis and Crohn's than minorities, and minority groups have been traditionally seen as "low-risk." Factors other than demographics are also likely involved in the increasing colitis rate seen in this study, Abramson said. One interesting possibility, he noted, is the decline in smoking since the 1990s. Studies have linked smoking to a lower risk of colitis, with some research suggesting a protective effect of secondhand smoke as well. at bing http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/28/us-study-finds-sharp-rise-colitis-among-idUSTRE63R4JI20100428
The symptoms of ulcerative colitis and how severe they are can vary significantly from one person to another. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, diarrhea, cramps and weight loss. The medical care of people who have ulcerative colitis typically is managed by a gastroenterologist -- a doctor who specializes in diseases that affect the stomach and intestines. Your child's gastroenterologist will consider the severity of her disease and the extent of its involvement in the colon when making treatment suggestions. Many medications are available that can effectively control ulcerative colitis symptoms. One type of medication in particular that you should talk about with your daughter's doctor is corticosteroids (steroids), as they can have an effect on growth. Steroids such as prednisone or methylprednisolone can be used in children and adolescents to control the symptoms of ulcerative colitis. But this group of medications may have a negative impact on bone development, as well as other significant side effects when used long-term. Though helpful for quickly reducing inflammation, the use of steroids should be minimized in children with ulcerative colitis. When used, steroids are typically considered a short-term medication bridge to control symptoms until another, slower-acting medication can exert its full effect. Even if your daughter does not take steroids, or takes them for only a short time, it's important to have her bone density monitored regularly, as the disease itself also can cause problems with bone development. When ulcerative colitis is well-controlled, the risk of bone problems in young people is lowered considerably. read more here http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-01-14/news/chi-tms-mayo-ulcerative-colitis-children_1_ulcerative-colitis-inflammatory-bowel-disease-medication
Oren Abramson, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Clara. Over the last 20 years, the region has seen a significant increase in the proportion of Asian and Hispanic residents. In this study, Asian and Hispanic children accounted for a growing share of ulcerative colitis cases over time; and in contrast to white children -- who were affected by colitis and Crohn's in roughly equal proportion -- Asian and Hispanic children were more likely to have colitis than Crohn's. In an interview, Abramson said that more studies are needed to see whether the "Westernization" of Asian and Hispanic immigrants is playing a role in children's risk of colitis. It's not clear how many Asian and Hispanic children in this study were from immigrant families, but immigration in general has accounted for a large share of California's population growth in recent years, Abramson and his colleagues note. Abramson also pointed out that a few studies have found evidence that certain immigrant groups' risk of IBD goes up after they leave their home countries -- including South Asian immigrants to the UK and Mexican immigrants to the U.S. More studies, Abramson said, are needed to see whether changes in diet, lifestyle or environmental exposures are involved in that trend. Such research, he added, should help in identifying the environmental factors important in IBD in general. The precise cause of IBD is not known, but it is thought to involve an immune system overreaction that injures the body's own intestinal tissue. In general, experts suspect that genetic susceptibility, coupled with some type of environmental trigger, cause IBD. While the current findings point to an increase in the number of children being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, it is not clear how widely relevant the figures might be. But, Abramson said, "I think they would be relevant to (U.S.) areas with similar demographics." He added that the findings suggest that pediatricians should give more consideration to the possibility of IBD in Asian and Hispanic children with symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea. In general, white Americans have higher rates of colitis and Crohn's than minorities, and minority groups have been traditionally seen as "low-risk." Factors other than demographics are also likely involved in the increasing colitis rate seen in this study, Abramson said. One interesting possibility, he noted, is the decline in smoking since the 1990s. Studies have linked smoking to a lower risk of colitis, with some research suggesting a protective effect of secondhand smoke as well. at bing http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/28/us-study-finds-sharp-rise-colitis-among-idUSTRE63R4JI20100428
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