Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Starting with your first visit to Cook Children's, you'll appreciate our commitment to meeting your child's needs. We'll start by finding the source of your child's symptoms. We use the latest testing for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Once we've confirmed a diagnosis, we offer a full range of therapies, including minimally invasive treatments and access to the newest medications. From nutrition guidance to mental health support, we're ready to support your child through every stage of care.

Choosing our program for pediatric IBD care

When you come to Cook Children's, you'll find:

Expertise: You'll always see an experienced staff doctor when you come for care. Our pediatric gastroenterologists are board certified, meaning they've passed optional tests of their skills and knowledge. Our team also uses a multidisciplinary care approach including experts in Immunology, Pediatric Surgery, Interventional Radiology, and Pain Management to provide comprehensive care for your child. In addition, because children with IBD also have other related conditions, they may need to see other specialists. We work with an experienced staff doctor, a dietician with IBD training, clinical therapist, research coordinator, social worker and a dedicated IBD nurse who handles individualized biologic treatments. Meet our gastroenterology team
Innovative approaches: We're among a limited number of pediatric programs using confocal laser endomicroscopy to diagnose and monitor IBD. These minimally invasive procedures give us real-time, magnified images of the digestive tract. This also helps our team see inside the digestive tract using the highest resolution, providing a more accurate diagnosis and in many cases, with less invasive treatments. We also use special imaging called magnetic resonance enterography (MRE), essentially an MRI of the intestines. And through our clinical trials program, we offer newer medications that target proteins and block the inflammatory response in the GI system. These biologics can provide an option for children who don't respond to standard therapies.
Convenient and timely care: With locations throughout the Metroplex, our team offers timely appointments. Your child can also receive care close to home. You can contact your care team by phone or through our MyCookChildren's patient portal. We're ready to help with any questions or concerns.
Special help for older teens: As teens approach adulthood, we'll help them to become more independent and learn ways to manage their health and understand the care they'll need going forward. When they're ready, we will coordinate care with an adult GI facility and transition care to a gastroenterologist who treats adults with IBD.
Commitment to better treatment: We're collaborating with more than 100 centers through ImproveCareNow to coordinate IBD care and find new treatments. ImproveCareNow is a collaborative community where patients, parents, clinicians and researchers work to improve the health and care of children with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We're also exploring ways to use endoscopic procedures to test and monitor treatment response in real-time. This approach will help us find the right IBD treatment more quickly.

Supporting your child with IBD

We're here to care for your child's physical and mental health throughout IBD therapy. In addition to our doctors and nurses, our team includes dedicated specialists that support your child's needs. These caregivers include:

Child Life specialists: When you come to Cook Children's, our Child Life specialists will be there to help. They have expertise working with children of all ages. And they'll explain what to expect during testing and treatment in terms your child can understand.
Clinical therapists: Our clinical therapists can help you and your child cope with the challenges of managing IBD. They'll provide strategies to reduce stress, such as relaxation techniques and visual imagery. And they can offer additional resources, such as support groups that may help throughout your child's care.
Dietitians: We want to ensure your child gets the nutrition needed to grow and develop. Our dietitians will work with you to create a diet that meets your child's needs.
Social workers: Our social workers provide the resources you need while your child is receiving care at Cook Children's. They can assist in getting medications. And they can help arrange any special accommodations your child needs to attend school or participate in other activities.

Diagnosing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

As a first step, we want to identify the specific type of IBD affecting your child. We use the latest technology available to make an accurate diagnosis.

For example, we're at the forefront of using a particular type of endoscopy — confocal laser endomicroscopy — to diagnose and monitor IBD. With this technology, we can see real-time microscopic images of the digestive tract magnified up to 1,500 times. These powerful images help us pinpoint and treat inflammation.

In addition, we offer standard diagnostic tests such as blood tests, stool analysis and colonoscopy. We use a range of imaging to get a clear picture of activity within the digestive system. These scans include CT, MRI, MRE and abdominal ultrasound.

Together, we'll review test results and develop a treatment plan to meet your child's unique needs. And we'll always keep your child's pediatrician updated about care received.

Individualized IBD treatment for children

Our goal is to understand each child's unique diagnosis, so we can develop a tailored treatment plan to relieve their symptoms and help them grow and thrive. We may use a combination of therapies to help manage your child's symptoms. Treatment options include:

Nutritional support: Our dietitians can recommend a healthy diet to help manage symptoms. For example, your child may want to avoid caffeinated beverages, fatty and spicy foods and foods with added sugar. We may also recommend vitamins and other supplements to ensure your child gets the nutrients they need to grow and develop.
Medications: We may recommend treatment with medications, including anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids and immune system suppressors.
Biologics: These medications target the proteins that cause inflammation, with access through our clinical trials program. They provide another treatment option for children who don't respond to standard therapy.
Complementary therapies: Some children with IBD experience abdominal and joint pain. In collaboration with Immunology, Rheumatology and Pain Management we offer many complementary therapies, including relaxation techniques and mindful meditation, to help manage symptoms. Over time, these therapies may help reduce the number of medications your child needs.
Surgery: Some children may not respond to medication at all, while for others the effectiveness may go away over time. These children may need surgery to remove damaged tissue within the digestive tract. We partner with our pediatric surgeons, who offer a wide range of surgical options for IBD.

Make an appointment or refer a patient

We're ready to help. If you'd like to schedule an appointment, refer a patient or speak to our team, call our offices at 682-885-1990.

Make an appointment MyCookChildren's portal

Learn more about appointments, insurance coverage and patient referrals.

Coming from outside of Texas?

Our team in Global Health Services supports families who travel to Cook Children's for medical care from across the country and around the world.

Our concierge service is here to help with every detail. We'll work with your family to:

Schedule appointments
Plan travel
Find accommodations
Offer financial counseling and insurance approvals
Arrange translation services

Please contact our Global Health Services care coordinator to arrange your visit to Cook Children's:

682-885-4685 phone
682-885-2557 fax
globalhealthservices@cookchildrens.org

We're here to help.

If your child has been diagnosed, you probably have lots of questions. We can help. If you would like to schedule an appointment, refer a patient or speak to our staff, please call our offices at 682-885-1990