Nutrition therapy helps most children

UPI summarises a report in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition that states that 60% of children with Crohn's will enter remission if they take a special nutrient mixture. This is as effective as steroids, and much preferable to the side-effects of long-term steroid use. However, it's a big commitment for the children:

Maintaining remission may require receiving 25 percent-50 percent of caloric intake by nutrition therapy -- sometimes for years, Shamir says. Children experiencing the treatment need the support of physicians, dietitians, psychologists and their families, the study says.

Although the reason that this works is not known, the fact that it works well and without side-effects makes it a great choice for children. Its benefits for adults are not mentioned, but one hopes that those studies are in process.