Nutritional support for pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease often suffer from malnutrition and growth failure. This is particularly true in pubertal children. Chronic insufficient nutrient intake is most often the cause of growth failure. Both parenteral nutrition and defined enteral formulas are available to rehabilitate patients with malnutrition and growth failure. Assessment of nutritional status and growth and the use of parenteral nutrition and defined enteral formulas to reverse malnutrition, growth failure, and inflammation in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease are discussed.