Barriers From Third-Party Payers to Biologic Use in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Biologic agents are now standard of care in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The ability to use biologics in clinical practice is in part dictated by insurance company policies. There is a long delay between adult and pediatric approval of biologic agents, and these therapies are often denied by third-party payers for use in pediatric IBD patients.

Efficacy and safety of intravenous iron sucrose in children younger than 2 years with intestinal failure.

Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is highly prevalent in children with intestinal failure (IF) and oral iron supplementation is often ineffective in this patient population. Even though various intravenous (IV) iron formulations are available, there is a dearth of data on the use of newer parenteral iron products such as IV iron sucrose, especially in infants and young children (<2 years of age) with IF. To determine safety and efficacy, we performed a retrospective chart review on infants and children younger than 2 years with IF who received IV iron sucrose for IDA between October 2019 and August 2021.

Simplified Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity Is Useful for Terminal Ileal but not Colonic Disease in Pediatric Crohn Disease.

Background: Ileocolonoscopy (IC) detects mucosal inflammation and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) detects transmural inflammation in Crohn disease (CD). We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the simplified magnetic resonance index of activity (MARIAs) and measures of inflammation by IC in children with newly diagnosed CD.

Methods: Retrospective review of 140 patients 6-18 years of age with CD who had baseline IC and MRE within 5 weeks of diagnosis.

Vitamin D status in children with intestinal failure who have achieved enteral autonomy.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in children with intestinal failure (IF) who receive parenteral nutrition (PN), but data on vitamin D status after achieving enteral autonomy (EA) are limited. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this population while exploring clinical variables that may be associated with its development.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed on 29 children with IF who had achieved EA.