title: Profile of pediatric Crohn's disease in Belgium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A Belgian registry for pediatric Crohn's disease, BELCRO, was created. This first report aims at describing disease presentation and phenotype and determining associations between variables at diagnosis and registration in the database.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through a collaborative network, children with previously established Crohn's disease and newly diagnosed children and adolescents (under 18 y of age) were recruited over a 2 year period. Data were collected by 23 centers and entered in a database. Statistical association tests analyzed relationships between variables of interest at diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred fifty-five patients were included. Median age at diagnosis was 12.5 y (range: 1.6-18 y); median duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 3 m (range: 1-12 m). Neonatal history and previous medical history did not influence disease onset nor disease behavior. Fifty three % of these patients presented with a BMI z-score < -1. CRP was an independent predictor of disease severity. Steroids were widely used as initial treatment in moderate to severe and extensive disease. Over time, immunomodulators and biological were prescribed more frequently, reflecting a lower prescription rate for steroids and 5-ASA. A positive family history was the sole significant determinant for earlier use of immunosuppression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Belgium, the median age of children presenting with Crohn's disease is 12.5 y. Faltering growth, extensive disease and upper GI involvement are frequent. CRP is an independent predictive factor of disease activity. A positive family history appears to be the main determinant for initial treatment choice.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Gastroenterology, Queen Paola Children's Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium; Pediatric Gastroenterology, UZB, Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: degreefelisabeth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Greef
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mahachie John
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Biervliet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaillon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paquot
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alliet
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dewit
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Haens
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rahier
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bauraind
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Gossum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fontaine
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Muls
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van de Mierop
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Coche
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Steen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Veereman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007223:Infant; D016015:Logistic Models; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: 5-ASA; 5-aminosalicylic acid; 6-MP; 6-mercaptopurin; BELCRO; BESPGHAN; BIRD; Belgian IBD Research and Development Group; Belgian Registry for Pediatric Crohn's Disease; Belgian Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; C reactive protein; CD; CRF; CRP; Children;; Crohn's disease; Crohn's disease;; Diagnosis;; Disease phenotype; GI; IBD; PCDAI; PGA; Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index; Pediatric;; Physician's Global Assessment; Profile;; Registry;; clinical report file; gastrointestinal; inflammatory bowel disease; m; months; w; weeks; y; year