Continuous elemental enteral alimentation in children with Crohn's disease and growth failure.
Four children aged (11.7-13.5 yr) with protracted growth retardation related to Crohn's disease, received a 6-wk period of continuous elemental enteral alimentation with no other form of treatment. Despite drug therapy the yearly height and weight gain velocities of these children (1.7 +/- 0.3 cm and -0.8 +/- 1.4 kg, respectively) had been abnormal during the previous 2 yr. All patients experienced a complete remission of symptoms, improved nutritional status, and significant height (1.8 +/- 0.3 cm) and weight (3.8 +/- 0.5 kg) gains during the 67 wk of treatment. After cessation of elemental enteral alimentation, 3 of the 4 patients continued to grow, and over a period of 4.5 mo from the beginning of this form of nutritional therapy, they gained an average of 5.0 +/- 1.6 kg and 3.5 +/- 0.3 cm. The disease became active thereafter, and the 3 children resumed their previously abnormal growth patterns during the ensuing year. The 4th patient had surgery 2 mo after elemental enteral alimentation and experienced a subsequent second spurt of growth and pubertal changes. This study suggests that a relatively short course of elemental enteral alimentation leads to a temporary resumption of growth in children with severe growth failure and Crohn's disease. The possibility that repeated courses of elemental enteral alimentation might be beneficial needs to be explored.
D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003092:Colitis / Q000628:therapy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005526:Food, Formulated; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007079:Ileitis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D013997:Time Factors