A study published in Gastroenterology states children who develop inflammatory bowel disease face an increased mortality rate in childhood and in their adult lives, Medical XPress reports.
Researchers identified 9,400 patients with IBD through the Swedish patient register and compared their mortality rates to other children.
Here's what they found:
1. Children who developed IBD before they turned 18 had a mortality rate three to five times higher than disease-free children.
2. Researchers believe the increased rate translates to a 2.2-year reduction in life expectancy.
3. Cancer was the most common ailment, but fatalities due to IBD accounted for the largest increase in mortality.
Ola Olén, a consultant and researcher at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Medicine in Solna, Sweden, said, "Most young people with IBD do not die earlier than their peers, but a few individuals with a severe case of IBD and serious complications such as cancer greatly elevate the relative risk."