Dietary Therapy to Improve Nutrition and Gut Health in Paediatric Crohn’s Disease; A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Bovine colostrum (BC) has anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, growth and intestinal repair factors that may be beneficial in Crohn’s disease (CD). We assessed whether daily BC for up to 3 months was acceptable to children and young people (CYP) with CD in remission or of mild/moderate severity. CYP were randomised to receive either BC or matching placebo milk daily for 6 weeks (blinded phase); all received BC for the following 6 weeks (open phase). In 23 CYP, median (inter-quartile range) age was 15.2 (13.9–16.1) years and 9 (39.1%) were girls. A similar proportion of CYP in the BC and placebo arms completed the blinded phase (8/12, 75.0% and 9/11, 81.8% respectively). Twelve (70.6%) CYP completed the open phase with 7 (58.3%) tolerating BC for 3 months. Diaries in weeks 2, 6 and 12 revealed that most CYP took BC every day (5/7, 71.4%; 5/8, 62.5% and 6/11, 54.5% respectively). In interviews, opinions were divided as to preference of BC over the placebo milk and some preferred BC over other nutritional supplements. Symptoms, clinical and laboratory variables and quality of life were similar in the two arms. BC may be an acceptable nutritional supplement for daily, longer-term use in CYP with CD.