ABSTRACT
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) include Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). When the diagnosis is uncertain, the disease is classified as undetermined colitis (10%). Twenty percent of all patients with IBDs are children. IBDs are uncommon in children less than 10 years old and are most prevalent in North America, Europe and in Caucasians from South Africa and Australia. A north to south gradient has been described in America and Europe. The incidence of IBDs in children is variable and estimated at 2.5 to 6/100 000 children/year [1,2]. CD is twice as common as UC in children.
