CHANDIGARH: Highlighting a sharp and alarming rise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) among children, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology at PGIMER organized a comprehensive Patient Awareness Session to mark World IBD Day. The event put a spotlight on the urgent need for specialized, child-centric medical management rather than treating young patients with adult protocols.
The Changing Face of Pediatric IBD
Addressing the session, Prof. Sadhna Lal, Professor & Head of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology at PGIMER, revealed a sobering statistic: while the institute previously encountered only 7 to 8 pediatric IBD cases annually, it is now diagnosing nearly 7 to 8 new cases every single month.
“IBD in children is no longer rare,” Prof. Lal stated. “Factors like dietary changes, urban lifestyles, processed food habits, and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and acid-suppressing medicines have contributed significantly to this growing burden.”
Prof. Lal strongly cautioned against clinical misjudgments, emphasizing that children up to 18 years old must be evaluated by trained pediatric gastroenterologists.
Why Childhood IBD Demands a Different Approach
The session underscored that pediatric IBD (including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease) is often more aggressive than the adult variant, affecting the entire gastrointestinal tract. Treating children like “small adults” ignores their unique developmental needs.
The disease impacts multiple facets of a child’s life:
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Physical Development: Delayed diagnosis severely disrupts natural growth, bone health, nutrition, and the onset of puberty.
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Academic & Social Life: Unmanaged flare-ups lead to interrupted schooling and poor academic performance.
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Emotional Well-being: Stress acts as a major trigger for IBD flare-ups. A supportive, compassionate environment in schools and families is critical.
The “Window of Opportunity” & Dietary Defense
Prof. Lal highlighted a critical “window of opportunity” in the early stages of the disease where timely, evidence-based treatment can prevent severe long-term complications, repeated hospitalizations, and expensive interventions later. She also noted the prevalence of Monogenic IBD in very young children, which requires highly specialized diagnostic methods.
Families were strongly advised to implement lifestyle and dietary modifications:
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Recommended: Well-cooked, fresh, and natural foods to form the base of dietary therapy.
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To Avoid: Processed, junk, spicy, and deep-fried foods that actively worsen intestinal inflammation.
Tapping Into Financial Support
Acknowledging the financial strain of managing a lifelong condition, Prof. Lal noted that government welfare schemes have become a saving grace for many. Initiatives like Ayushman Bharat have substantially reduced the heavy financial burden associated with long-term treatment, medications, and continuous follow-up care.
The awareness program concluded with an interactive Q&A session, dispelling common treatment myths and offering practical strategies for parents to help their children lead healthy, productive, and confident lives.
