Crohns Disease in Children |Symptoms & Causes
What are the symptoms of Crohn’s disease in children?
While Crohn’s disease symptoms may affect each child differently, common symptoms include unexplainedfeversanddiarrheawith or without blood. A child may be losing weight and not growing as expected, since the pain may make them not want to eat, and inflammation may prevent the small intestine from absorbing the nutrients the body needs.
Othersigns of Crohn’s diseasemay include:
- abdominal pain, often in the lower right area
- weakness
- fatigue
- rectal bleeding (although often associated withulcerative colitis)
- blood in the stools or black, tar-like stools
- joint pain
- rashes
Some infections can cause symptoms like these, and it’s important for these to be excluded as possible causes. Crohn’s can be a challenging disease for a child to have, and reassurance and support can go a long way toward making a child feel better.
What causes Crohn’s disease in children?
Scientists have not yet discovered the cause of Crohn’s disease, but it’s an area of activeresearch. Both genes and the environment play a role. The immune system is also involved, which is why treatment for Crohn’s disease often involves medication to reduce its activity.
Crohns Disease in Children |Diagnosis & Treatments
How is Crohn’s disease diagnosed in children?
There isn’t just one test for Crohn’s disease. Your child’s doctor will most likely recommend a combination of tests to diagnose Crohn’s disease, including:
- blood tests
- stool sample tests
- endoscopy
- colonoscopy
- biopsy
- imaging studies
What is the treatment for Crohn’s disease in children?
At Boston Children’sInflammatory Bowel Disease Center, our team of specialists develops a personalized treatment plan for every patient, based on factors such as specific symptoms, health needs, age and the severity of Crohn’s disease.
Treatment of Crohn’s disease may include:
Medication
Drug therapy is the gold standard treatment for Crohn’s disease in children. It can reduce inflammation, control symptoms and allow the body to properly absorb nutrients again. Crohn’s disease medications can include:
- anti-inflammatory drugs to bring the disease under control
- immune system suppressants that can reduce the swelling that causes Crohn’s
- antibiotics to treat related complications, such as abscesses or fistulas
- antiulcer/H2 blockers (acid-reducing medications) to treat related ulcers and irritation
- disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow or halt the underlying causes of inflammation
Nutrition support
Your child will have the option to meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in working with children and teens with IBD and can develop an eating plan to help control symptoms of Crohn’s disease and improve overall health.
Surgery for Crohn’s disease
有时一个孩子可能(或不回应stop responding) to Crohn’s disease medications and may be a good candidate for surgery — a procedure that removes a section of the intestine. The decision to have surgery is a joint one, made between your child, your family, your child's gastroenterologist and the surgeon.
It's important to remember that with Crohn's disease, surgery is rarely a cure, since inflammation may recur in other locations throughout the digestive tract. The purpose of surgery is to keep your child feeling well and to minimize the damage done to the intestine.