Enteral nutrition as primary therapy in childhood Crohn's disease: control of intestinal inflammation and anabolic response.

Crohn's disease in childhood is a chronic relapsing and remitting condition that can significantly impact normal growth and development. This influences choice of both initial and ongoing management. The goal of therapy is to induce and maintain remission with minimal side effects. Enteral nutrition is effective in active disease and will induce disease remission in most cases avoiding corticosteroid use. The high frequency of relapse means additional immunosuppressive therapies are usually required but nutrition remains a key priority as part of the subsequent management strategy.