Nutritional Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Nutritional monitoring and therapy are an integral component of the management of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Given the early age of onset, the impact of the disease can have a profound impact on nutritional status, growth, pubertal development, bone health, self-esteem, and quality of life. In the treatment of IBD in children, nutrition and growth outcomes are critical indicators of overall well-being and therapeutic success in addition to other therapeutic targets of symptom resolution and mucosal healing. In addition to a multitude of pharmacologic approaches to therapy, there is extensive evidence supporting the efficacy of nutritional therapy in Crohn disease (CD). Current guidelines support exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) as the first-line therapy to induce remission in children with active CD. This chapter will focus on nutritional deficiencies and the role of exclusive or partial enteral nutrition in the management of IBD. The role of exclusion diets and whole food dietary therapy will be covered in another chapter.