signs, symptoms and treatment for IBD

If you think your child might have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you probably have a lot of questions and worries. We’re here to help you understand what’s going on with your child’s body and what you can do about it. 

on this page:

• What is inflammatory bowel disease?
• What are the types of inflammatory bowel disease?
• What are the signs and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease?
• What are the potential complications of inflammatory bowel disease?
• What causes inflammatory bowel disease?
• How is inflammatory bowel disease diagnosed?
• Is IBD different from IBS?
• What are the treatment options for inflammatory bowel disease?
• Why choose the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Dayton Children's

what is inflammatory bowel disease? 

Inflammatory bowel disease is an autoimmune condition. This means that the immune system, which usually fights off germs, mistakenly attacks parts of your own body. In IBD, this attack targets the intestines, causing them to become red, swollen and painful - this is called inflammation. 

IBD is a chronic condition. This means that you will have IBD your whole life, but your symptoms may come and go. But don’t worry, there are treatments that can help you live a normal, happy and active life! 

what are the types of inflammatory bowel disease? 

There are two main types of IBD: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both can cause similar symptoms, but they affect the body differently. About 2,500 children and teens in the state of Ohio have IBD.

Types of IBD include:  

• Crohn’s Disease: This type of IBD can affect any part of the digestive tract, from your mouth to your anus. The inflammation in Crohn’s can skip around, meaning you might have healthy areas of intestine between inflamed patches. 
• Ulcerative colitis (UC): This type of IBD mostly affects the colon (large intestine). In UC, the inflammation is more continuous, without skipped areas, and it creates ulcers that can produce mucus or pus. 
• IBD unclassified: Sometimes, it’s not clear if the inflammation is due to Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. This is called IBD unclassified or indeterminate colitis. Over time, your disease may change to Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. 

what are the signs and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease? 

Inflammatory bowel disease can affect your digestive system in different ways, and the symptoms can sometimes make everyday life tough.  

common signs of IBD include:  

• Diarrhea 
• Blood in the stool (poop) or on toilet paper 
• Weight loss 
• Stomach pain 
• Fever 
• Low energy 
• Problems around the anus 
  • Skin tags: Small, soft growths on the skin 
  • Fissure: Tiny tears in the skin around the anus 
  • Fistula: Unusual connections between organs that don’t normally connect 

IBD can also cause symptoms in other parts of your body, especially if it’s not well-controlled.  

Other symptoms of IBD include: 

• Skin rashes 
• Eye issues 
• Joint pain 
• Liver problems 
• Kidney stones 
• Poor growth 
• Delayed puberty 

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what are the potential complications of inflammatory bowel disease? 

IBD can sometimes lead to other health problems where we need other specialists (like a dietitian or surgeon), including: 

• Stricture: Narrowing of the intestines due to scarring. This can lead to a small bowel obstruction.
• Abscess: A pocket of pus caused by infection 
• Fistula: An abnormal connection between organs 
• Perforation: A hole in the wall of the intestine 
• Height stunting: When a child stops gaining height
• Nutrition failure: When a child stops gaining expected weight

what causes inflammatory bowel disease? 

The exact cause of inflammatory bowel disease is not fully understood, but it is believed to result from a combination of factors. 

Some causes might include: 

• Genetics, where a family history of IBD can increase the risk  
• An abnormal immune response, where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the digestive tract 
• Environmental factors such as diet, stress and exposure to certain bacteria or viruses.  

Together, these elements can trigger the inflammation that characterizes IBD. 

how is inflammatory bowel disease diagnosed? 

Inflammatory bowel disease can be hard to diagnose, even if the bowel has been damaged over many years. Additionally, IBD symptoms often resemble those of other conditions, which may make it difficult for doctors to diagnose. 

If your child is suspected to have IBD, a gastroenterologist at Dayton Children’s will conduct a detailed review of your medical history and symptoms followed by a physical examination focusing on your abdominal area and growth metrics. 

The gastroenterologist will order advanced diagnostic testing to get a definitive diagnosis of IBD so we can see what parts of your body are affected and how we can best treat you. 

Here are some examples of tests/labs you may have done: 

• Upper endoscopy (EGD): A camera on a flexible tube is used to check for inflammation in your esophagus, stomach and the beginning of your small intestine. 
• Lower endoscopy (colonoscopy): Similar to the upper endoscopy, this procedure checks your entire colon for inflammation, ulcers or bleeding. 
• Blood tests: These help check for signs of infection, inflammation or other issues. 
• Stool studies: A sample of your poop is checked for blood, inflammation or infections. 
• Capsule endoscopy: You swallow a small camera that takes pictures of your entire digestive tract as it moves through. 
• MR enterography: A special MRI that provides good images of the small intestine

is inflammatory bowel disease different from irritable bowel syndrome? 

Yes! Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is also a problem that shares many symptoms of IBD, like abdominal pain and diarrhea. However, IBS does not cause inflammation. 

The treatments for these two conditions are also very different. IBS treatments include diet changes and stress management. While these things may help with IBS symptoms, IBD treatment focuses on reducing or eliminating inflammation and can include medications, nutrition therapy, hospitalization or surgery. 

what are the treatment options for inflammatory bowel disease? 

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Dayton Children's Hospital provides a comprehensive approach to help you and your family understand the treatment options that might work best. 

Treatment for IBD can include: 

1. Medications 
2. Nutrition therapy 
3. Surgery 

why should I choose the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Dayton Children’s? 

At Dayton Children’s, we’re part of the ImproveCareNow (ICN) network, which helps improve care for kids and teens with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Within two years of joining ICN,  our remission rates have gone up by more than 20%.  

Right now, about 87% of our patients are in remission, meaning they don’t need steroids, hospital stays, or surgeries. This has been consistently above the ICN target of 83% for the last several years. 

Our experts, Dr. Shehzad Saeed and Dr. Kelly Sandberg, lead national efforts to improve IBD care. When you come to Dayton Children’s, you’re getting top-notch care from leaders in the field.