Growth after intestinal resection for Crohn's disease in children, adolescents, and young adults

Objective: Growth before and after intestinal resection for Crohn's disease (CD) was examined in a group of children, adolescents, and young adults. M ethods: Retrospective chart review of patients who had intestinal resection s as clinical management of complications of CD between 1985 and 1996. Pre- and postoperative measurements of weight and height were reviewed. Z-score s were computed for weight-forage (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and weight-f or-height (WHZ). Two tailed t tests were used to compare postoperative grow th patterns. Significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: Twenty-five sub jects (8 females, mean age 16.2 +/- 2.8 years with one operation, and 3 mal es, mean age 15.7 years with multiple operations) were identified. There we re significant improvements in the postoperative growth patterns of subject s who had one operation: HAZ (-1.28 +/- 1.45 versus -0.98 +/- 1.37, p = 0.0 41), WAZ (-1.35 +/- 1.02 versus -0.74 +/- 0.93, p = 0.0006) and WHZ (-0.64 +/- 0.95 versus -0.23 +/- 0.81, p = 0.036). Furthermore, the magnitude of p ostoperative weight gain directly correlated with the age at CD diagnosis, R-2 = 0.16, p = 0.046. Trends towards improved postoperative WAZ (-0.83 ver sus -0.49) and HAZ (-0.47 versus -0.27) were also observed in the three sub jects who had multiple operations. Conclusion: The pattern of weight and he ight growth was improved after intestinal resection for CD. Nonetheless, cl ose monitoring of postoperative growth is necessary especially in children diagnosed with CD at a young age.