Crohn's disease exclusion diet in children with Crohn's disease: a case series

Abstract

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) represents an established, evidence-based dietary therapy used in Crohn's disease (CD); although successful, EEN is extremely restrictive with limited acceptability and prolonged use. The Crohn's disease exclusion diet (CDED) is a new, sustainable and patient-friendly dietary therapy used for the management of pediatric CD. CDED is designed to reduce exposure to dietary components hypothesized to negatively affect the microbiome, intestinal barrier and immunity. By focusing on five clinical cases, this article illustrates the benefits of using CDED as mono- or co-therapy with partial enteral nutrition in children with mild to moderate CD. CDED combined with partial enteral nutrition is a safe and effective therapeutic option for both induction and maintenance therapy in children with mild to moderate CD. It ensures sustained remission and can induce mucosal healing in children with mild to moderate Crohn's disease.

Keywords: Adherence; Crohn’s disease (CD); Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (CDED); partial enteral nutrition (PEN); remission; tolerance.