http://www.medicalposting.ca/children/article.jsp?content=20040413_095904_2600&topStory=y Children from all ethnic groups are developing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
Both genes and the environment influence a child's risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a Toronto study.
IBD is a group of conditions, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, in which the intestines become inflamed, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea.
The new research shows that children from all ethnic groups in greater Toronto are now developing IBD, even if it is rare in the family's country of origin.
"I believe our data corroborate that there are as yet unidentified environmental triggers that are important in the development of inflammatory bowel disease," says Dr. Anne Griffith, professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto and director of the pediatric IBD program at the Hospital for Sick Children.
For the study, Griffith and her colleagues analysed records dating back to 1977 on Toronto children who developed IBD before their 15th birthday.
The data show Crohn's disease has become more common than ulcerative colitis over the past two decades, with both of these diseases observed across all ethnic groups.
In ulcerative colitis, the inflammation usually begins in the rectal area and may eventually extend through the entire large intestine. Crohn's disease most commonly occurs in the ileum, the area where the small and large intestines meet.
The researchers found that children of Jewish ethnicity have been consistently over-represented in the pediatric IBD population. About 30 per cent of these Jewish children have a first-degree relative affected by IBD, confirming that genetic factors also play a role.
The study also confirmed that males are more likely to develop Crohn's disease prior to puberty than females, but researchers aren't sure why.
In general, children develop IBD in late childhood or adolescence, although a much smaller percentage develop the disease at preschool ages.
Griffith says the study does not indicate what environmental factors might contribute to IBD risk in children, but other research suggests bacteria in the intestines might play a role in triggering IBD, particularly Crohn's disease, in people who are already susceptible because of their genes.