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The Role of Nutrition in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2025 | Viewed by 6083

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. The Pediatric Gastroenterology Institute, Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
2. The Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
Interests: pediatric inflammatory disease; nutrition; pediatric endoscopy; inflammatory bowel disease; gastroenterology; pediatrics

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Guest Editor
Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Hospital, University of Otago, Christchurch 4710, New Zealand
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; coeliac disease; improving Crohn’s outcomes; intestinal inflammatory biomarkers; nutritional aspects of gut diseases; host–pathogen interactions in the gut (and how these relate to chronic gut diseases)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nutrition has both a supportive and therapeutic role in the management of many gastrointestinal diseases. Optimized nutrition is essential for the growth and development of all children. This is especially relevant to children with gastrointestinal (GI) conditions that can variably affect nutrient intake, absorption, or metabolism.

There is no other time in life where the provision of adequate and balanced nutrition is as crucial than during infancy and childhood. During this dynamic phase characterized by rapid growth, development, and developmental plasticity, a sufficient amount and appropriate composition of nutrients both in health and disease are of key importance for growth, functional outcomes such as cognition and immune response, and the metabolic programming of long-term health and well-being.

The main role of the gut is to digest and absorb nutrients in order to maintain life and well-being. Chronic conditions affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract commonly impact nutrition adversely. This is especially relevant in children and adolescents with chronic GI conditions, where growth and development are key outcomes. The nutritional impacts of chronic GI conditions in childhood include weight loss or reduced weight gain, impaired linear growth, and delayed pubertal development.

In addition, the malabsorption or reduced intake of micronutrients may lead to specific deficiencies, with further potential adverse effects. Conditions that can have an impact on nutrition include inflammatory bowel disease, eosinophilic disorders, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis or other pancreatic disorders, chronic liver disease, intestinal failure, neurological disorders, functional GI disorders, cancer, and obesity. This Special Issue aims to focus on the nutritional aspects of various pediatric GI conditions.

Dr. Ron Shaoul
Prof. Dr. Andrew Day
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • pediatric gastrointestinal diseases
  • inflammatory bowel diseases
  • functional gastrointestinal diseases
  • non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy
  • eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases
  • diet
  • nutrition
  • food
  • therapy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 469 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Institutional, Retrospective, Observational Study on Administration Status and Safety of In-Hospital Oral Selenium Preparation in Pediatric Patients Predominantly Suffering from Gastrointestinal Disease
by Jumpei Saito, Eiji Suzuki, Keiko Kobayashi, Keisuke Doi, Yosuke Miwa, Setsuko Ihara, Kei Nakai and Miki Akabane
Nutrients 2024, 16(18), 3142; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183142 - 17 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1252
Abstract
Objectives: Selenium deficiency in patients with gastrointestinal diseases treated with long-term central venous nutrition is a clinical problem. Only injectable selenium is approved in Japan, and oral selenium preparations are prepared in hospitals from reagents, but their efficacy and safety are unknown. Methods: [...] Read more.
Objectives: Selenium deficiency in patients with gastrointestinal diseases treated with long-term central venous nutrition is a clinical problem. Only injectable selenium is approved in Japan, and oral selenium preparations are prepared in hospitals from reagents, but their efficacy and safety are unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study investigating the relationship between selenium administration and oral selenium formulations and adverse events. Results: In this study, 239 selenium-treated cases and 220 selenium-untreated cases adjusted for patient background were selected as a reference group. The median (interquartile range, IQR) age was 1.3 (0.4–4.4) and 1.3 (0.3–4.5) years, respectively; gastrointestinal diseases were most common in 110 (46.0%) and 104 (47.3%) cases. The median (IQR) duration of treatment or observation with oral selenium was 446 (128–1157) and 414 (141–1064) days, respectively. The median (IQR) dose per body weight at the maintenance dose was 2.6 (1.7–3.9) μg/kg, and the median (IQR) serum selenium concentration at the maintenance dose was 8.5 (7.0–10.6) μg/mL within the upper tolerated dose limit and approximately the reference range. There was no difference in selenium dose, serum selenium concentration, or serum-selenium-concentration-to-dose ratio (C/D ratio) for adverse events. The incidence of adverse events was compared with that of patients not treated with selenium. Conclusions: An oral selenium preparation administered below the upper tolerated dose limit can be used effectively and safely in pediatric patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases)
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Review

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10 pages, 265 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Nutritional Interventions in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
by Ramit Magen-Rimon, Andrew S. Day and Ron Shaoul
Nutrients 2024, 16(18), 3055; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16183055 - 10 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2569
Abstract
Food is an important environmental factor in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic immune-mediated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, there is significant focus on the role that dietary approaches might have in the management of these diseases. The introduction of exclusive [...] Read more.
Food is an important environmental factor in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic immune-mediated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, there is significant focus on the role that dietary approaches might have in the management of these diseases. The introduction of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) as a treatment option for induction of remission in Crohn’s disease was a breakthrough in disease pathophysiology understanding and has paved the way for dietary options based on this understanding. This review aims to summarize the current data on the effect of different available diets on disease symptoms and the inflammatory process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases)

Other

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40 pages, 876 KiB  
Systematic Review
Short- and Long-Term Nutritional Status in Children and Adolescents with Celiac Disease Following a Gluten-Free Diet: A Systematic Review
by Maria Papoutsaki, Christina N. Katsagoni and Alexandra Papadopoulou
Nutrients 2025, 17(3), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030487 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1585
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Numerous studies have highlighted the nutritional imbalances that are commonly observed in children and adolescents diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) who follow a gluten-free diet (GFD). However, the development and timeline of these nutritional deficiencies remain unclear. The aim of the present [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Numerous studies have highlighted the nutritional imbalances that are commonly observed in children and adolescents diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) who follow a gluten-free diet (GFD). However, the development and timeline of these nutritional deficiencies remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the short-term (≥6 months to <12 months) and long-term (≥12 months) association between adherence to a GFD and nutrient intake as well as micronutrient blood status in children and adolescents aged from 0 to 18 years with CD. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus for observational studies published up to June 2024. Results: A total of 15 studies (case–control, cross-sectional, and prospective studies) with 2004 children and adolescents were included. Their quality was assessed using the ROBINS-E tool. Despite the lack of high-quality data and the heterogeneity of the methods used in the included studies, the results of the cross-sectional/case–control studies show that, in the short term, children and adolescents with CD consumed excessive amounts of protein and carbohydrates compared to controls. After long-term adherence to a GFD, significant changes in the diets of children and adolescents with CD persisted. Fat intake was higher, while protein intake remained excessive compared to controls. Based on prospective studies, vitamin C and iodine intake improved both in the short and long term after adherence to a GFD. However, most other nutrients either remain inadequate or continue to decline, indicating that it is difficult to meet nutrient requirements despite dietary adjustments. Conclusions: Gaps in adherence to dietary recommendations appear to be widespread in children and adolescents with CD, emphasizing the need for improved diet quality and regular monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Diseases)
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