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The Role of the Environment in the Development of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  • PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY (S ORENSTEIN, SECTION EDITOR)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising worldwide, with a particularly sharp increase in children. Rates are highest in North America and Europe, with rapid increases noted in developing nations adopting the Westernized environment. While many genetic risk loci have been identified that predispose people to IBD, incomplete penetrance and overlapping genotypes among patients with different phenotypes inadequately explain the etiology of these chronic diseases. Therefore, environmental risk factors have been the subject of much recent research. This article reviews the role of the environment in IBD, with particular focus on early-life exposures and pediatric-onset disease. The literature surrounding environmental risk factors is reviewed, including prenatal and perinatal exposures, the hygiene hypothesis, the urban environment, infection and antibiotic use, and secondhand tobacco smoke exposure. In addition, the possible role of the environment in altering the intestinal microbiome is addressed.

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Acknowledgments

Eric Benchimol is supported by a Career Development Award from the Canadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) strategic training program.

Conflict of Interest

Amiirah Aujnarain declares that she has no conflict of interest.

David R. Mack declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Eric I. Benchimol declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Amiirah Aujnarain, David R. Mack & Eric I. Benchimol

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Eric I. Benchimol

  3. CHEO IBD Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, CANADA

    David R. Mack & Eric I. Benchimol

  4. Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Ottawa, Canada

    Eric I. Benchimol

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  1. Amiirah Aujnarain
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Correspondence to Eric I. Benchimol.

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Aujnarain, A., Mack, D.R. & Benchimol, E.I. The Role of the Environment in the Development of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 15, 326 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-013-0326-4

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