Miami Herald Logo

Keeping Kids Fit: Inflammatory Bowel Disease is life-altering for kids | Miami Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Herald Store
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • Sections
    • News
    • South Florida
    • Miami-Dade
    • Broward
    • Florida Keys
    • Florida
    • Politics
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • National & World
    • Colombia
    • National
    • World
    • Americas
    • Cuba
    • Guantánamo
    • Haiti
    • Venezuela
    • Local Issues
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • In Depth
    • Issues & Ideas
    • Traffic
    • Sections
    • Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Pro & College
    • Miami Dolphins
    • Miami Heat
    • Miami Marlins
    • Florida Panthers
    • College Sports
    • University of Miami
    • Florida International
    • University of Florida
    • Florida State University
    • More Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Fighting
    • Golf
    • Horse Racing
    • Outdoors
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Youth Sports
    • Other Sports
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • Sections
    • Business
    • Business Monday
    • Banking
    • International Business
    • National Business
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate News
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Tourism & Cruises
    • Workplace
    • Business Plan Challenge
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cindy Krischer Goodman
    • The Starting Gate
    • Work/Life Balancing Act
    • Movers
    • Sections
    • Living
    • Advice
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Wine
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dave Barry
    • Ana Veciana-Suarez
    • Flashback Miami
    • More Living
    • LGBTQ South Florida
    • Palette Magazine
    • Indulge Magazine
    • South Florida Album
    • Broward Album
    • Sections
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music & Nightlife
    • People
    • Performing Arts
    • Restaurants
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Jose Lambiet
    • Lesley Abravanel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Miami.com
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Sections
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Ed
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Jim Morin
    • Letters to the Editor
    • From Our Inbox
    • Speak Up
    • Submit a Letter
    • Meet the Editorial Board
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Blog Directory
    • Columnist Directory
    • Andres Oppenheimer
    • Carl Hiaasen
    • Leonard Pitts Jr.
    • Fabiola Santiago
    • Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Place an Obituary

    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Apartments
    • Auctions/Sales
    • Automotive
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Employment
    • Garage Sales
    • Legals
    • Merchandise
    • Obituaries
    • Pets
    • Public Notices
    • Real Estate
    • Services
  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Real Estate
  • Mobile & Apps

  • el Nuevo Herald
  • Miami.com
  • Indulge

Health & Fitness

Keeping Kids Fit: Inflammatory Bowel Disease is life-altering for kids

By Amber Hamid Langshaw

UHealthSystem.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

June 09, 2015 01:52 PM

Being a kid is hard enough in today’s world. Now imagine your child has an intestinal issue that causes unwanted attention, pain and fatigue. From multiple trips to the classroom bathroom to missed play dates due to recurring stomach aches, Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a life-altering condition.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the intestines that does not have a specific cause and can occur at a very young age. It affects 1.6 million Americans, and more than 30,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, primarily in adolescents and adults, but sometimes as young as toddlers. It causes the immune system to become inappropriately active, causing injury to the intestines.

There are two primary types of IBD — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, starting from the mouth and through to the end. Ulcerative colitis is localized to the large intestine.

The symptoms of IBD can vary depending on where in the gastrointestinal tract inflammation is present. Children can present with abdominal pain, diarrhea with blood and/or mucous, loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, tiredness, joint pain and failure to grow. But how do you know if your child has IBD or is simply fighting a virus or another gastrointestinal issue?

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

When IBD is suspected, you should take your child to his or her pediatrician. If the doctor agrees with your concerns, you will receive a referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist. To help diagnose Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, your child will have to undergo testing. The specialist will usually order blood tests, stool tests, radiological studies and endoscopy and colonoscopy. While this may seem scary, because some of the tests are invasive, they are necessary to get an accurate diagnosis and rule out other conditions.

If your child is diagnosed with IBD, you will likely be frustrated to learn that at this time there is no cure for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. However, there are treatment options, which can include medications, nutritional therapies and/or surgical procedures. Because IBD is a lifelong condition and can wax and wane with time, different interventions will be required at different times.

Medications are used as maintenance therapy to keep the disease under control, and medications control the disease when it is actively flaring. Medications for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are similar and are anti-inflammatory in nature. In some cases they affect the immune system to stop injury to the gastrointestinal tract.

Diet plays an important role in managing and overcoming IBD. At this point there is no specific diet that will cure IBD, but some people who are experiencing a flare-up may have a decreased appetite or experience diarrhea when they eat, which can affect energy level and weight. When the intestines are inflamed it is hard for the body to absorb all the nutrients and calories it needs to heal. If your child is experiencing a flare-up, you should consider speaking with a dietician well versed in IBD for guidance. In addition, your child will need to be checked for nutritional deficiencies and supplements may be necessary.

While parents and patients always want surgery to be a last resort in treating IBD, it can be important for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It is best used in conjunction with medical therapies. The goals of surgery are to improve overall health, help reduce symptoms, help with growth and preserve as much healthy intestine as possible.

Inflammatory bowel disease requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes family support, physicians, dieticians, nurses, researchers, surgeons and social workers. While this many people managing your child’s condition may seem overwhelming, remember that each of these specialists is working hard to improve your child’s health and well-being. They are also there to lead you in the care of your child.

Being diagnosed with a chronic, lifelong disease is hard for children to assimilate into their daily lives. Signs that your child may be having trouble with his or her diagnosis include inability to sleep, doing poorly in school, not eating well, sadness and lack of interest in once enjoyed activities. If your child is exhibiting any of these behaviors, it is important for them to know that they have support from their family, friends and doctors. It is also normal to feel angry, sad and frustrated, but remind your child that most people who are treated for IBD lead normal, happy lives.

There is ongoing research to determine the cause of IBD and the role of genetics. There are also new treatment options, including diets and medications that target the immune system. Resources are available for parents and children at www.ccfa.org.

Amber Hamid Langshaw, M.D., is an assistant professor in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterologist at UHealth - University of Miami Miller Health System. UHealth is nationally and internationally acclaimed for education, research, patient care and biomedical innovation. For more information, visit UHealthSystem.com/patients/pediatrics.

  Comments  

Videos

The FDA warns against injectable silicone

Looking for a good day care? Here are 13 things to consider

View More Video

Trending Stories

Haitian police arrest five Americans who claimed they were on a ‘government mission’

February 18, 2019 06:37 PM

Man arrested after climbing crane near FIU to ask Trump for mercy for Cuban exile bomber

February 18, 2019 08:44 AM

A Florida 6th-grader called the Pledge of Allegiance ‘racist.’ Then he got arrested.

February 18, 2019 08:59 AM

Get to know Miami’s 2020 recruiting class: RB Don Chaney Jr. gives Canes a class leader

February 18, 2019 11:44 AM

Did the rock star unzip it on stage in Miami? Fifty years later, let’s take a look

February 17, 2019 09:41 AM

Read Next

Miami ostomy group helps patients adjust to their new lifestyles

Health & Fitness

Miami ostomy group helps patients adjust to their new lifestyles

By Ana M. Restrepo, R.N., BSN, CWON Miami Ostomy Aftercare Program

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 18, 2019 02:32 PM

Miami Ostomy Aftercare offers multiple programs with the goal of “providing a smooth transition back to a healthy, happy life overcoming negative and overwhelming feelings with useful information and guidance.”

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE HEALTH & FITNESS

Herbal water for babies with tummy discomfort recalled for possible choking hazard

Health & Fitness

Herbal water for babies with tummy discomfort recalled for possible choking hazard

February 17, 2019 09:35 AM
Miami-Dade restaurant worker found with hepatitis A, health department announces

Restaurant News & Reviews

Miami-Dade restaurant worker found with hepatitis A, health department announces

February 15, 2019 10:44 PM
Children and gun violence: Solutions to reducing the epidemic

Health & Fitness

Children and gun violence: Solutions to reducing the epidemic

February 12, 2019 02:25 PM
Woman’s foot problem limits her lifestyle. What’s the next step?

Jock Doc

Woman’s foot problem limits her lifestyle. What’s the next step?

February 11, 2019 11:27 AM
Woman says one eye is ‘bigger’ than the other. Can plastic surgery help?

Plastic Surgery 101

Woman says one eye is ‘bigger’ than the other. Can plastic surgery help?

February 11, 2019 11:37 AM
Sanders to Gables pharma firm: Why are you charging $375,000 for life-saving drug?

Business

Sanders to Gables pharma firm: Why are you charging $375,000 for life-saving drug?

February 05, 2019 10:38 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Miami Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Public Insight Network
  • Reader Panel
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Media Kit
  • Commercial Printing
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story