Clinical, Imaging, and Endoscopic Outcomes of Children Newly Diagnosed With Crohn's Disease

This study is looking for children aged between 6 and 17 years old who are suspected of having Crohn's disease and are about to have tests to confirm the diagnosis (like a colonoscopy).

If tests show they do have Crohn's disease, and they start anti-TNF medicine within six months of diagnosis, they may be able to continue in the study. Before joining, any stool tests for common tummy bugs must be clear. Also, your child shouldn't have been on certain strong medicines recently, like some steroids or investigational drugs, that might affect the study results. They also can't take part if they are pregnant or have serious uncontrolled health problems like poorly managed diabetes, or if they've had major bowel surgery for Crohn's right at diagnosis.

It's important that your child and their parent or guardian agree to take part, and that you're able to come to follow-up appointments for at least a year after starting treatment. If your child struggles with claustrophobia or can't have an MRI scan for other reasons, they might not be able to participate.

If your child is eligible, they'll be part of the study for about two years. It starts with tests at diagnosis, then continues for at least a year after they begin anti-TNF treatment. During this time, your child will have regular blood and stool tests to check for inflammation. They will also have a colonoscopy and a special MRI scan (which uses magnets and radio waves to create detailed images of the body) before starting treatment and then again one year later. These imaging tests help doctors see how much healing is happening inside the gut. The study will also involve looking at your child's genes to understand how inflammation is controlled in their body. These appointments will happen at around 27 children's hospitals across North America.