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Suh, Kim, Jang, Kim, Kim, Lee, Chang, and Kim: Efficacy of Nutritional Therapy in Children with Crohn Disease
Original Article

Korean Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2006; 9(2): 210-217.

Published online: 30 September 2006

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5223/kjpgn.2006.9.2.210

Efficacy of Nutritional Therapy in Children with Crohn Disease

Hyun Ah Suh, Sung Eun Kim, Joo Young Jang, Bong Jin Kim*, Joon Sung Kim†, Sun Youn Lee‡, Soo Hee Chang§, Kyung Mo Kim

Department of Pediatrics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

*Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea.

†Department of Pediatrics, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.

‡Kwang Myung Sung Ae Hospital, Gwangmyeong, Korea.

§Department of Pediatrics, Bundang Jesaeng General Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.

kmkim@amc.seoul.kr

Copyright © 2006 The Korean Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Abstract

PURPOSE

Crohn disease (CD) in children is frequently complicated by malnutrition and growth retardation. Conventional treatment with corticosteroid may also affect the growth of children, which may be alleviated by nutritional therapy. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate the role of nutritional therapy in the treatment of CD in children.

METHODS

The study cohort consisted of thirty children under the age of 17 years, admitted to the Asan Medical Center from 2001 to 2005. While 11 children received nutritional therapy (NT) with an elemental diet, 19 received conventional corticosteroid therapy (ST). Comparative analysis was performed for the rate of the induction of remission, recurrence, disease activity index of pre and post-treatment, and changes of the growth using mean standard deviation score for weight (zW) and height (zH).

RESULTS

Ten of 11 children with NT and 18 of 19 children with ST completed the therapy. Two of them were lost to follow-up during the treatment. All 10 children with NT and 15 of 18 children with ST achieved remission. While there was no recurrence in children with NT, 7 with ST showed recurrence within 1 year. Pre- and post treatment Pediatric Crohn disease Activity Index (PCDAI) did not show a difference between the two groups. There were no differences in zW and zH between the two groups after 1 year of follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that nutritional therapy could be considered instead of steroid therapy for treatment of children with CD. However, a long-term study will be needed to determine the long-term efficacy.

Keywords: Crohn disease, Elemental diet, Corticosteroid, Children

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