Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment and Research
What kinds of tests will my child need?
As needed the gastroenterologist may require some testing for patients. These include, but are not limited to:
- blood tests
- stool samples
- ultrasounds, MRI and other imaging procedures
- endoscopy or colonoscopy
Blood tests and stool samples could be requested at the first visit, but all other tests will be thoroughly described and scheduled on a second date.
Will it hurt?
The necessary testing may cause some discomfort for your child. Our nurses and social workers can assist parents with preparing their children for uncomfortable testing procedures. More invasive procedures will use sedation or anesthesia when appropriate.
How should a child/parent prepare before coming to the hospital?
Please make sure that medical records are sent to our center before attending a second opinion appointment. To make your visit here as complete and useful as possible our physicians will need:
- All clinic notes and lab results from their current pediatric gastroenterologist
- Pathology reports and biopsy slides from previous endoscopic procedures
- Films and reports from any radiology testing (ultrasound, UGI w/sbft, etc.)
- Growth chart from the primary care physician
- List of medications
Please send this information to:
Jaclyn Donegan
Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Boston Children's Hospital
300 Longwood Avenue, Hunnewell 103
Boston, MA 02215
ibdcenter@childrens.harvard.edu
Fax: 617-730-0494
What can we expect afterward?
Close monitoring and follow up visits are essential to keep your child as healthy as possible. Keeping regular follow-up appointments and taking medications as prescribed is the best way to stay healthy.
Additionally, the IBD Center has created a take-home binder full of information about Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis for newly diagnosed patients. It will help familiarize patients and their families with the staff they will encounter during their care at Children's. Through the use of our many educational materials and resources, our goal is to empower our patients by putting them in control of their disease.
What can we do if we have questions?
Our administrative and nursing staff is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You are welcome to call our office at 617-355-2962 with any questions about upcoming appointments or your child's health. In the event of an emergency please call the hospital page operators at 617-355-6369 and ask to have the GI fellow on call paged.
For more information, check our website. Also, a book entitled Your Child with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Family Guide for Caregiving is available through bookstores or online booksellers.
More information is available through the internet at the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website, www.ccfa.org.
Other resources
The IBD Experience Journal is a collection of stories, pictures, and personal experiences from families about what it has been like to contend with pediatric IBD. It represents the "collective wisdom" of these families as well as their health care providers. www.experiencejournal.com/ibd.
