Page 3426 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 13 October 1993
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CROHN'S AND COLITIS DISEASE AWARENESS WEEK
Ministerial Statement
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement on Crohn's and Colitis Disease National Awareness Week.
Leave granted.
MR BERRY: I would like to acknowledge an event which was held last week, 2 to 9 October - Crohn's and Colitis Disease National Awareness Week. These two chronic diseases, both of which cause inflammation of the intestines, are often referred to as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. Ulcerative colitis causes an inflammation of the mucous membrane layer of the colon and rectum, while Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the full thickness of the intestine which can involve any part of the digestive tract. While not fatal, both conditions are debilitating and painful and there is no known cure.
People in any age group can contract these diseases, although there does seem to be a peak between 15 and 30 years, with a possible secondary peak among the elderly. Twenty-five per cent of sufferers are children or teenagers. The youngest child so far was only two months old. One of the side effects, which particularly affects children who suffer from either disease, is poor growth and development. People who suffer from IBD will generally feel ill and suffer pain, and their appetite tends to decrease accordingly. Because affected people often suffer severe cramping after eating, they tend to try to eat less to avoid that pain. This reduces their intake of calories, and their bodies also may be depleted of fluids, proteins, vitamins and minerals. This problem is further exacerbated in those with Crohn's disease because, along with the problem of a reduced food intake, the small bowel has difficulty absorbing the food. As well as possibly suffering growth and development disorders, both young and old may experience weight loss, fevers, nausea and sometimes severe joint pains.
Researchers do not know what causes IBD, although it is thought that it is not contagious and it is not caused by food allergies or emotional stress. While food allergies do not cause IBD, attention to diet is a very important factor in treating these two diseases. Restoration of proper nutrition and maintenance of body weight are essential parts of the total treatment of anyone with IBD. Even though there is no cure, most people with IBD continue to lead full and productive lives, although they may need to take medication such as the steroids cortisone or prednisone, or immune suppressing agents. The use of medication is mainly aimed at improving the symptoms. Sometimes surgery is required to improve symptoms or because complications have occurred.
Normally there is only a risk of one to three people out of every 100,000 people getting Crohn's disease in any year. However, studies seem to indicate that Crohn's disease may run in families, and the likelihood of getting Crohn's disease may increase to a 5 to 10 per cent chance among parents, brothers, sisters and children of sufferers.
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