Seven children with Crohn's disease and linear growth retardation were studied in order to determine the best method of treating this psychologically debilitating complication. No single therapeutic approach was successful in all patients. Three patients responded to enteral caloric supplementation, one to central venous alimentation, and one low dose corticosteroid therapy, and two responded to surgical extirpation of the involved segments of bowel.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
McCaffery TD , Nasr K., Lawrence AM et al: Severe growth retardation in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Pediatrics45: 386-393, 1970
2.
Homer DR, Grand RJColodny AH: Growth, course, and prognosis after surgery for Crohn's disease in children and adolescents. Pediatrics59:717-725, 1977
3.
Layden T., Rosenberg J., Nemchausky B., et al: Reversal of growth arrest in adolescents with Crohn's disease after parenteral alimentation. Gastroenterology70:1017-1021, 1976
4.
Kelts DG, Grand RJ, Shen G. et al: Nutritional basis of growth failure in children and adolescents with Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology76:760-727, 1979
5.
Harris BH, Hollabaugh RS, Clatworthy HWJr: Surgery for developmental and growth failure in childhood granulomatous enteritis. J Pediatr Surg9:301-304, 1974
6.
Block GE, Moossa AR, Simonowitz D.: The operative treatment of Crohn's disease in childhood. Surg Gynecol Obstet144:713-717, 1977