Paediatric gastroenterologist warns of rising bowel disease cases in children aged 6 to 10; reveals the main causes

Increasingly, children are suffering from serious gut conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

IBD, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease, is a serious gut condition that is often thought to affect adults. But it turns out even children are afflicted with these conditions. Dr (Maj) Prateek, consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Surya Mother and Child Super Speciality Hospital in Pune, shared with HT Lifestyle that the number of children affected by chronic gut issues like IBD and Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID) is shockingly rising. What was once rare, as these gut issues were not typically seen in young kids, has now become common.

Dr Prateek spotlighted two chronic gut conditions that are increasingly affecting children. “Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID) are showing a worrying upward trend. Between 1990 and 2019, pediatric IBD cases increased by nearly 23% worldwide, with the steepest rise in high-income and urban regions,” he shared.

The biggest concern is how young the child is when the symptoms first begin, as according to the gastroenterologist, almost a quarter of IBD patients are under the age of 10, and in some cases, symptoms appear even before age 6.

Particularly for the symptoms that begin from six years old, Dr Prateek called it ‘Very Early Onset-IBD’. While based on the doctor's observation, EGID in children causes abdominal pain and feeding difficulties.

Why are the cases rising?

Children are eating more processed food which make them vulnerable to diseases like IBD. (Shutterstock)

The biggest cause of these chronic gut issues among children is diet. Dr Prateek also highlighted environmental factors, like pollution, as other contributing causes.

He cautioned against poor diets, especially the ones which are “heavy in ultra-processed foods and refined sugars.” This is primarily because it's connected to gut inflammation, which in turn triggers these chronic gut issues like IBD.

On the contrary, the gastroenterologist believed that traditional, fibre-rich diets, like the Mediterranean, are beneficial for health.

The environmental and other miscellaneous culprits that Dr. Prateek called out were air pollution, reduced exposure to microbes due to excessive hygiene, early antibiotic use, and cesarean delivery. They disturb the gut's microbiome, lowering the gut’s natural defence system.

Symptoms

The initial symptoms are subtle, but paying close attention is important. The doctor revealed these symptoms for the two gut conditions:

• IBD symptoms: Blood in stool, unexplained low-grade fever, and nighttime awakenings may precede abdominal pain, urgency, and growth delays.
• EGID symptoms: EGID tends to present as chronic abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or feeding refusal. Because signs mimic more common gastrointestinal complaints, diagnosis is often delayed for years. High clinical suspicion and early referral for endoscopic evaluation and biopsy are critical.

How to prevent and manage?

The doctor warned parents to stop downplaying their stomach aches as ‘just a stomach bug’ and instead urged them to pay attention to any stomach pain, more so if it is very frequent.

Dr Prateek advised a better prevention method. He said, “Establishing a healthy gut foundation through breastfeeding, judicious antibiotic use, and diets rich in whole foods can lower risks. For children already diagnosed, medical therapies remain the mainstay.”

For treatment, if complications arise and surgery is needed, he suggested options such as colectomy for severe ulcerative colitis, resection for Crohn’s disease, or endoscopic dilation for EGID-related strictures.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.