Ulcerative colitis in children: What should I know?

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Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease. It results to an inflamed colon or large intestine. This inflammation can cause bleeding and swelling as well as frequent episodes of diarrhea.

As a chronic ailment, there is no cure unless surgery is performed to remove the colon. Nevertheless, the doctor can help manage the condition in various ways. The treatment for children slightly differs than the adults.

What are the indications of ulcerative colitis?

Children with ulcerative colitis can have various symptoms linked to inflammation. The symptoms might range from moderate to severe.

ulcerative-colitis-children
The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is difficult to determine. It is believed to be caused by bacteria or a virus that triggers an inflammatory response in the colon.

Some children often go through peaks and remissions of the disease. The child might have no symptoms for some time and then suffer flare-ups of severe symptoms.

The usual symptoms that might arise include:

  • Diarrhea that might include some blood
  • Anemia due to the blood loss
  • Fatigue
  • Stomach pain
  • Malnutrition since the colon could not properly absorb nutrients
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Unexplained weight loss

The symptoms can make ulcerative colitis hard to diagnose. In addition, children have a hard time explaining their symptoms.

What are the causes?

The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is difficult to determine. It is believed to be caused by bacteria or a virus that triggers an inflammatory response in the colon.

Some of the risk factors have been identified such as a family history of the disease. Take note that some individuals with ulcerative colitis have a close family member with the disease.

Management

The treatment for ulcerative colitis is based on the severity of the symptoms and the measures that the disease responds to. When it comes to adults, a special type of enema is used. Nevertheless, children could not tolerate enema. Medications are given such as:

  • Corticosteroids to prevent the immune system from attacking the colon
  • Aminosalicylates work by reducing the inflammation in the colon
  • Immunodulators or TNF-alpha blocking agents work by reducing the inflammatory response in the body

In case the symptoms do not respond to these treatments and worsen, the doctor might suggest surgery to get rid of the affected part of the colon. The child can live without all or part of the colon, but removal can affect digestion.

The removal of a region of the colon will not cure the disease. It might reappear in the region of the colon left after surgery. In some cases, the doctor might recommend the removal of the colon. A region of the small intestine is rerouted via the abdominal wall so that stool has an exit point.

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