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Crohn's Diet for Kids

Crohn's disease is an inflammation of the digestive tract lining. Symptoms include severe stomach pain, diarrhea and malnutrition if not properly treated with medicine or diet. According to the National Genome Research Institute, roughly 25 percent of new Crohn's disease diagnoses are made in people under the age of 20. In addition children with a parent with this disease are 7 to 9 percent more likely to get develop symptoms in their lifetime. Find out what the best Crohn's diet is for your kids.

  1. Food Journal

    • The Mayo Clinic states that there is no definitive diet that can treat all Crohn' disease sufferers. The best way to determine what causes your child to experience symptoms is to keep a food journal. Record everything that your child eats. If your child is old enough, have her carry around the journal to write down any food reactions. There are certain foods that commonly exacerbate symptoms such as dairy products, fatty foods, chocolate, gas producing foods, caffeine, spicy foods and citrus fruits. Take one of these foods out of your child's diet each week to see if symptoms reduce. Introduce them back in if there are no problems and go to the next. Finding the culprit food may take some time, so ask your child to stick with the diet to achieve results. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that children with Crohn's disease can experience stunted growth and delayed development.

    Diet

    • Crohn's disease sufferers generally have mineral and vitamin deficiencies, because of diarrhea and poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines. According to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, soluble fiber may be beneficial for treating diarrhea, while insoluble fiber can worsen symptoms. Give your child bananas, oatmeal, applesauce, tapioca and rice. Avoid giving him any gas-producing foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions and cauliflower. Children need to get enough calories to facilitate growth, but some high calorie foods like sweets, baked goods and anything with sugar can make symptoms worse.

    Foods to Eat

    • High fat foods can increase Crohn's disease symptoms. Feed your kids lean proteins and see how they respond. Check out foods like baked fish sticks, skinless turkey and chicken, tofu and tempeh. Dairy can also lead to diarrhea. Purchase soy, almond, rice, or coconut milk to see if they make a difference. Incorporate simple high calorie foods in her diet like smashed potatoes made with margarine, plain noodles with olive oil, pancakes with pumpkin butter, bananas with peanut butter and rice with canola oil and parsley. Parsley is an herb that can aid in digestion. Ask your doctor about high-calorie and high-nutrient liquid supplements that your child can take. Also, inquire about a vitamin D supplement for your child to take. A study by the American Gastroenterological Association, found that vitamin D supplements were beneficial for Crohn's disease sufferers.

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