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Riley Children's Health

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program

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317.944.3774

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Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may experience abdominal pain, diarrhea and a poor appetite.

IBD refers to two separate conditions that cause inflammation in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract. These conditions are:

  • Crohn's disease. Crohn’s disease involves the small and large intestines.
  • Ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis can affect all or part of the large intestine.

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Riley at IU Health treats children with IBD through special monthly appointments. These appointments let you and your child see a pediatric gastroenterologist, a dietitian and an IBD research nurse all during the same visit. If needed, you and your child can also consult with our psychologist, social worker, pediatric surgeon and parent mentors.

As part of Riley at IU Health, we can utilize many additional resources such as extensive pediatric specialists, specialized pediatric equipment and many supportive pediatric programs sponsored by Child Life.

Your child will be evaluated by gastrointestinal specialists who are fellowship-trained and board certified. We use capsule endoscopy to explore the intestines. This procedure allows us to examine your child's condition without using radiation or tubes.

We have been successfully treating children with IBD for more than 30 years with advanced diagnostic tests and treatment options. We tailor care for each child to provide the best treatment possible.

Our doctors regularly attend medical conferences to learn about the latest treatments and ways to manage IBD. The large size of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Riley at IU Health allows our team to participate in national and international research studies and quality improvement organizations. This makes more treatments available to children with moderate to severe disease who do not respond to standard therapies.

Health Info Videocta Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: What To Expect

The goal of this video is to help you know what to expect when your child has an inflammatory bowel disease, including how the condition is managed and what you can do to help your child at home.

Conditions & Services

Conditions Treated

Our pediatric specialists provide patient- and family-centered care for most related conditions. The links below provide more specific information about some, but not all, of the conditions that we treat.

  • Crohn's Disease
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • Ulcerative Colitis

Services Offered

We offer a number of different Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program services. Below are some, but not all, of the services that we provide. If you have a question about a specific service that is not listed here, please contact our program.

  • Blood Tests
  • Capsule Endoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Computed Tomography (CT Scan)
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  • Stool Tests
  • Ultrasound
  • Upper Endoscopy

Doctors and Locations

Doctors

Care provided through the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program is coordinated through our specialized pediatric gastroenterology doctors.

4 Results
Brian A. McFerron, MD profile image
Brian A. McFerron, MD

4.8 out of 5 stars

(197 ratings)

Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.

Learn About Survey

Pediatric Gastroenterology

317.944.3774
Marian D. Pfefferkorn, MD profile image
Marian D. Pfefferkorn, MD

4.7 out of 5 stars

(129 ratings)

Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.

Learn About Survey

Pediatric Gastroenterology

317.944.3774
Steven J. Steiner, MD profile image
Steven J. Steiner, MD

4.6 out of 5 stars

(321 ratings)

Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.

Learn About Survey

Pediatric Gastroenterology

317.944.3774
Xiaoyi Zhang, MD, PhD profile image
Xiaoyi Zhang, MD, PhD

Pediatric Gastroenterology

317.944.3774

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Locations

Locations

In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.

Riley Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

4.7 out of 5 stars (1,097 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
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575 Riley Hospital Dr
Indianapolis, IN 46202

317.944.3774

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Riley Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

4.7 out of 5 stars (1,352 ratings)
Score is an average of all responses to care provider related questions on our nationally-recognized NRC Health Patient Experience Survey.
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11725 N Illinois St
Carmel, IN 46032

317.944.3774

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Program Forms & Resources

Program Forms & Resources

The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Riley at IU Health provides the following forms for parents, healthcare providers and personnel. We have also curated relevant resources from other websites and provided links with brief descriptions of the information that is available.

Resources

  • Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America

    The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America sponsors support groups and summer camps for children living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and provides extensive information about the conditions on its website.

  • GIKids

    The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition provides patient outreach and education for children and families living with IBD.

  • ImproveCareNow

    Riley at IU Health participates in this national health network that is dedicated to improving the care of children with IBD.

Related Departments

Related Departments

We provide multispecialty care for a number of conditions. Below are links to our related departments.

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

Health Professionals

For Health Professionals

We work with referring physicians and actively participate in a wide range of research on IBD to provide children and their families with the most accurate diagnosis. Healthcare providers and families may contact the Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Department at Riley at IU Health or the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program to schedule an appointment.

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Riley at IU Health works with referring physicians in Indiana and beyond.

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Education

Physicians within the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program give lectures to medical students, residents and fellows. Students, residents and fellows gain hands-on experience in the outpatient gastrointestinal clinics and inpatient gastrointestinal services, all of which are supervised by pediatric gastrointestinal specialists. Gastrointestinal fellows are trained in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures for three years.

Education Resources:
  • Medical Students
  • Residents
  • Fellowship
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Designated as Best Children's Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Ranked in 10 Specialties in 2020-21

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