Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic

At Mayo Clinic Children's Center, our Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic is committed to the medical and surgical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We offer a compassionate, integrated approach to treating IBD, taking into account diverse developmental needs, including a focus on growth, development and psychosocial needs that are unique to children with IBD.

IBD involves chronic inflammation of all or part of the digestive tract. It primarily includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and less commonly, collagenous colitis and eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

Inflammatory bowel disease can impact a child and family every day of their lives. At Mayo Clinic, we strive to see the patient as a whole person with complex needs, and work to get symptoms and disease under control so your child can get back to a normal life.

Each year, approximately 1,200 children diagnosed with IBD visit our clinic from around the world to receive cutting-edge treatments, and some have the opportunity to engage in clinical research studies.

Your Mayo Clinic visit

A physician who specializes in the treatment of IBD in children — called a pediatric gastroenterologist — will initially meet with you and your child. Mayo's Pediatric IBD Clinic has many specialists who work together through coordinated appointments to address the unique concerns of children with IBD. The IBD team will complete an evaluation of your child, usually over two to five days.

The pediatric gastroenterologist and team will then follow up with you and your child to discuss the findings and recommend a treatment plan. Recommendations may include medication, surgical intervention, or changes to diet and lifestyle.

Comprehensive team approach

Mayo's Pediatric IBD Clinic offers comprehensive services in a family-friendly environment. Collaboration of the multispecialty team ensures quality and patient-centered care for your child and family.

Team members include pediatric gastroenterologists specializing in the treatment of IBD, pediatric surgeons, pediatric endocrinologists, pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric mental health specialists, and other pediatric specialists as needed. In addition, the clinic has pediatric radiologists with expertise in IBD, as well as access to a state-of-the-art imaging center and experienced laboratory specialists.

  • Pediatric registered nurse care coordinators with specialized expertise in IBD will:
    • Provide personalized education about IBD to you and your child
    • Coordinate the health care needs of your child with IBD
    • Assist your child and family in understanding, coordinating and carrying out the treatment plan
    • Facilitate rapid communication between your family and the medical team
    • Assist in navigating health insurance and coverage of care
  • A pediatric gastroenterologist will:
    • Assess, diagnose and holistically treat challenging and complex IBD, pulling from the latest research and technology advancements
    • Order appropriate tests using state-of-the-art imaging services and interdisciplinary consultations
    • Perform endoscopic procedures, as needed, to diagnose, confirm and determine the severity, extent and complexity of IBD
    • Discuss any concerns that you or your child has about the care and treatment of IBD
  • A child life specialist will:
    • Advocate for the special needs of your child and family
    • Support your child and family by using a variety of tactics to improve understanding of your child's medical diagnosis and needs
    • Develop age-appropriate strategies to increase understanding of a diagnosis using education, preparation and activities
  • A registered dietitian provides medical nutrition therapy, which includes:
    • Review and analysis of your child's medical and diet history, lab and clinical test values, and growth trends
    • Management and education of appropriate nutrient intake and patient education
    • Recommendations about food, nutrients and meals to help manage IBD
    • Management of exclusive enteral nutrition in collaboration with the care team's recommendations
  • A clinical social worker can support your family in a variety of ways, including:
    • Help you identify and use resources in the community
    • Effectively advocate with insurers and other institutions, such as schools
    • Provide psychological support as your child copes with a chronic disease
    • Help your child transition to become an independent advocate for his or her health
  • A pediatric surgeon, if needed, will:
    • Collaborate with your gastroenterologist to determine the need for surgery
    • Provide appropriate education, planning and timing of pediatric surgery
    • Discuss the procedure and answer any questions you or your child has before and after the surgery

Very early-onset IBD

Very young children with IBD represent a unique population that requires highly specialized care. This represents a distinct problem that in many cases indicates a more definable problem with the immune system called primary immunodeficiency.

Mayo Clinic's pediatric IBD experts can lead a coordinated consult for children with very early-onset IBD (VEO-IBD), collaborating with immunologists, utilizing the unique resources of the Center for Individualized Medicine. The latest genomic techniques can help identify previously unrecognized disorders, leading to an individualized treatment strategy.

Transitioning to adult IBD specialists

Transitioning from a pediatric to adult health care team can result in many challenges and be disruptive to a teenager and the family. Mayo Clinic offers a uniquely integrated transition process that allows you and your child to experience a smooth, coordinated transition from a child-centered approach through adulthood, using innovative strategies and collaboration.

Active research

Our pediatric IBD specialists are actively engaged in multiple research efforts to expand and improve treatment options for children with IBD. These efforts include new treatments, nationwide innovative collaborations to improve the effectiveness of existing treatments, and a better understanding of the cause of IBD. Research coordinators can explain the opportunities available to participate in these important efforts.

Appointments

Make an appointment at Mayo Clinic Children's Center and learn about patient services.

Sept. 11, 2019

Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/childrens-center/overview/specialty-groups/pediatric-ibd-clinic