Bengaluru: Childhood Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), once considered relatively uncommon in India, is increasingly being diagnosed among children, with specialists in Bengaluru reporting a noticeable rise in cases over the past decade.
Doctors say the increase could reflect both a genuine rise in the incidence of the disease and improvements in awareness, diagnosis and access to specialised paediatric care.
Bengaluru hospitals report rising cases
At Smiles Institute of Gastroenterology, doctors have recorded a 12% increase in childhood IBD cases over the past six months. The institute has diagnosed 886 children with the condition over the last five years.
Dr CM Parameshwara, founder and CEO of the institute, said changing dietary patterns, including greater consumption of ultra-processed foods, sugary beverages and packaged snacks, reduced physical activity and changes in the gut microbiome could be contributing to the trend.
Dr Lavenya RP, consultant in paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, said paediatric IBD has increased significantly in India over the past two decades. Doctors are also seeing very-early-onset IBD among children below six years.
Urban lifestyle may play a role
Dr Lavenya said rapid urbanisation, lifestyle changes, pollution and passive smoking could contribute to IBD among older children, while improved diagnostic facilities have also resulted in more cases being identified.
Dr Shivakumar Sambargi, Head of Department and Senior Consultant, Paediatrics and Neonatology, Sakra World Hospital, said he has noticed an increase in childhood IBD over the past five to 10 years, particularly among children living in urban areas.
He said he encounters around three to four suspected childhood IBD cases every week.
Parents urged not to ignore symptoms
Doctors have advised parents not to dismiss recurring abdominal pain, unexplained diarrhoea, blood in stools, poor growth, weight loss or reduced appetite as routine stomach infections.
Around 25% of IBD patients develop the condition before the age of 18, according to the doctors. While early adolescence is a commonly affected age group, IBD can also occur in infants and very young children.
Early recognition and specialised medical assessment can help identify children who require further evaluation and treatment.
Focus on healthier childhood habits
Doctors have also welcomed measures by the Karnataka Government aimed at improving children’s diets, including restrictions on the sale and promotion of junk food around schools.
They stressed the importance of healthier food choices and regular physical activity as part of efforts to promote better health among children.