Treatment and Acceptability of Specific Carbohydrate Diet for Children with Active Crohn's Disease

This is a prospective pilot study to evaluate the acceptability of the specific carbohydrate diet and efficacy of the special carbohydrate diet in pediatric patients with active inflammatory bowel disease in South Florida. Nutritional therapy in pediatric Crohn’s disease is an effective tool to bring patients into remission. The prevalence of alternative therapy practices in the pediatric population, and knowing that nutritional therapy in the form of EEN has been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms and inducing remission. Researchers at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital want to learn about if the specific carbohydrate diet is well tolerated in pediatric patients with active Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis).

Inclusion Criteria

1. Children and adolescents eight to twenty-one years old
2. Diagnosis of Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s Disease made by a primary gastroenterologist based upon history, physical exam, laboratory/radiological studies and gastrointestinal histology
3. Mild or moderate disease activity based upon PCDAI score (10-45) or PUCAI score (10- 60)
4. Parent/guardian and child must be able to comprehend the consent and assent
5. Parent/guardian and participant must be able to attend study visits at baseline, and weeks +2, +4, +8, +12.
6. Participant must not have medication changes for his/her inflammatory bowel disease medications for at least 1 months, unless medically necessary.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Severe disease with PCDAI >45 or PUCAI >60
2. Active or history of intraabdominal abscess, intraabdominal fistula, stricturing Crohn’s disease
3. Other serious medical conditions such as neurological, liver, kidney, autoimmune or systemic disease.
4. Has begun TNF inhibitors within two months prior to study
5. Has had change of maintenance medication within the last month
6. Tobacco, alcohol or illicit drug abuse
7. Pregnant subject recipients will be excluded