Children with early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): analysis of a pediatric IBD consortium registry.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in young patients.


METHODS
Uniform data were collected from a cohort of patients with IBD who were enrolled from January 2000 to November 2002 at six pediatric centers (Pediatric IBD Consortium).


RESULTS
Of 1370 children in the registry, the mean age at IBD diagnosis was 10.3 +/- 4.4 years; 54% were male, and 86% were white. Diagnosis was confirmed in 87 (6.1%) under 3 years of age, 211 (15.4%) before 6 years, 654 (47.7%) at 6 to 12 years, and 505 (36.9%) at 13 to 17 years. More than 63% of children younger than 8 years of age had isolated colonic disease, whether Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis (UC), or indeterminate colitis. Conversely, only 35% of those 8 years of age or older had isolated colonic disease ( P < .0001). Overall, 29% had one or more family members with IBD. The subgroup of children younger than 3 years of age with UC had the highest prevalence of first-degree relatives with IBD (44%).


CONCLUSIONS
This demographically diverse pediatric IBD cohort revealed age-related variation in the distribution of IBD phenotype, with a high prevalence of isolated colonic disease in young children. Positive family history was especially common in young patients with UC.
Heyman
Melvin B
MB
UCSF Children's Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. mheyman@peds.ucsf.edu
Kirschner
Barbara S
BS
Gold
Benjamin D
BD
Ferry
George
G
Baldassano
Robert
R
Cohen
Stanley A
SA
Winter
Harland S
HS
Fain
Patricia
P
King
Chris
C
Smith
Terry
T
El-Serag
Hashem B
HB
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology