How Are Pediatric IBD and Seasonal Patterns Related?

The clinical expression of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may differ with insolation and season of diagnosis, according to new findings.  

“The seasonal variations in IBD have been of interest to researchers, however, the evidence regarding the concept of seasonal patterns is contradictory,” the authors wrote.

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To assess the relationship, the researchers investigated whether the course of IBD was associated with season of birth and the level of insolation at diagnosis among 406 children from 7 centers of similar latitude in Poland. Patients were between the ages of 3 years and 18 years; 214 patients had Crohn disease (CD), and 192 patients had ulcerative colitis (UC). 

Children diagnosed with IBD when insolation was stronger (April-August) had poorer nutritional status and required more frequent biological treatment compared with those diagnosed when insolation was not as strong, according to the study. Patients diagnosed in winter were younger at diagnosis and at first immunosuppressive treatment compared with those diagnosed in other seasons. 

Children with CD diagnosed when insolation was stronger also spent more days in the hospital (4.6 days) compared with children diagnosed in months with lower insolation (2.9 days). Children diagnosed with CD in the summer had more concomitant diseases, the researchers reported. The worst CD flares usually occurred in autumn, and children diagnosed in autumn had more extraintestinal manifestations. 

Findings also suggested season of birth was linked with Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index at worst flare, as well as earlier surgery.

“In conclusion, several clinical parameters are associated with insolation, the season of diagnosis, and season of birth in the clinical course of CD,” the researchers wrote.

—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference:

Glapa-Nowak A, Szczepanik M, Kwiecień J, et al. Insolation and disease severity in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease-a multi-centre cross-sectional study. J Clin Med. 2020;9(12):3957. doi:10.3390/jcm9123957