High Folate Levels In Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

According to new study, high folate levels are present in blood of children who are newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than others without IBD.

The findings also doubt earlier theories of IBD that persons with IBD are more prone to folate deficiency.

Inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis, refers to illness that causes chronic inflammation and serious damage to intestines in digestive system. IBD manifests itself in colon and results in Crohn’s disease, which can occur any where in the intestinal tract.

IBD triggers in children of all ages and results in diarrhea, bleeding, abdominal pain, fever and also nutritional deficiencies.

Melvin Heyman, MD, a professor of pediatrics, chief of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, and director of the Pediatric IBD Program at UCSF Children’s Hospital says, “This particular exciting study opens the door to additional research into folic acid role in IBD, particularly in young patients”.

Low levels of folate can be due to many reasons like poor absorption of folate, poor or low dietary intake and also medical interactions.

According to Nina Holland, PhD, a senior author on the paper, previous findings have shown that adult patients with IBD tend to have low levels of folate in blood than those without illness.

Read more at UCSF