Growing Up IBD
Voices of Childhood

Website dedicated to raising awareness about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (also known as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis) which affects children all over the world, and lowers their quality of life.

Site contains materials that you can use to make your advocacy and awareness efforts easier. The biographies can be printed out, letters can be copied and pasted whole or in part. The purpose is to help us help ourselves.

The focus is not entirely children, but if these pages are enclosed with any letter you write to congress, local newspapers, magazines, celebrities or talk shows, they can add impact to any issue you decide to promote.

Stories from young children and/or adults are welcome. Please Share Your Story.

Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract but most commonly occurs in the ileum (the area where the small and large intestine meet).

Alternative names: Inflammatory bowel disease; Regional enteritis; Ileitis; Granulomatous ileocolitis

The disease may occur at any age, but adolescence and early adulthood are the periods of highest risk.

Symptoms Include: Diarrhea; Abdominal pain; Fever; Loss of appetite; Unintentional weight loss; Abdominal mass; Abdominal sounds; Fatigue; Gastrointestinal bleeding; Foul-smelling stools; Tenesmus (pain with passing stool).

Simple Definition: Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly the bowel (it can involve any area of the GI Tract).

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory disease of the large intestine and rectum characterized by bloody diarrhea.

It may affect any age group, although there are peaks at ages 15 to 30 and then again at ages 50 to 70.

Symptoms include: Diarrhea; Abdominal pain; Abdominal sounds; Fever; Weight loss; Foul-smelling stools; Tenesmus; Jaundice

Simple Definition: Chronic inflammation of the large intestine and rectum.