Paediatric inflammatory bowel disease: Why is it rising in India?

Inflammatory bowel disease is on the rise among young children in India. It is an autoimmune condition in which the white blood cells by mistake consider the cells in the human gut as enemies and attack. It leads to the formation of ulcers inside the mucosa. It ultimately results in the child getting pediatric inflammatory bowel disease or IBD with symptoms like loose stools, bloody diarrhea, and fever.

Due to this chronic condition, children lose both muscle mass and weight and also suffer from multiple vitamin deficiencies. IBD is primarily divided into three categories viz. microscopic colitis which is diagnosed via biopsy, Crohn’s disease which affects the small intestine and ulcerative colitis which affects the large intestine.

According to Mahesh Kumar Gupta, Senior Consultant -Gastroenterology at Marengo Asia Hospital in Gurugram, “ Genetically predisposed individuals inherit susceptibility from their parents. The gut environment, particularly the balance of bacteria, plays a crucial role; a healthy gut typically contains 60-70 percent good bacteria and 30-40 percent bad bacteria.”

He adds, “Disruption in this balance, often due to poor dietary habits, lack of sleep, or excessive consumption of junk food and preservatives, can trigger inflammation. The immune system's interaction with genetic and bacterial factors further contributes to intestinal ulcerations seen in IBD."

Increased urbanization and intake of ultra-processed foods

The increase in urbanization which ultimately has introduced an entirely new lifestyle has a lot to do with the increase in the frequency of IBD in children. A study published in 2023 in the journal Lancet has said that with the rise in urbanization, the intake of ultra-processed foods in children and young adults has also increased in the country.

And this is the primary reason for the rise in IBD among kids in major cities. Another study that was conducted in Hyderabad’s AIG Hospitals has shown that around 15 lakh Indians suffer from IBD but the entire picture is not yet clear as there is no proper, combined data available.

Health experts have also cited C-section deliveries that destroy microflora in the guts, lack of breastfeeding, and excessive use of antibiotics as reasons for IBD. Also, children with a family history of gut inflammation are more at risk of this disease.