Volume 20, Issue 4

I am absolutely thrilled to bring you the newest updates and exciting developments on the e-Learning platform that we have been diligently working on. As we approach the winter break, I also want to take a moment to wish you all some well-deserved time off to rest, recharge, and enjoy the holiday season with friends and family.

The new ECCO Guidelines on the Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Infections in IBD provide an updated framework that builds on and and extends the 2021 ECCO Gguidelines. The document reflects the rapidly evolving therapeutic and infectious disease landscape and is designed as a practical tool for everyday clinical decision-making.

IBD nursing has developed a significant international community that originated humbly in Weymouth, Dorset, in 1993, with just one nurse. Today, it is recognised worldwide as a specialised field crucial to the care of people with IBD. ECCO'26 in Stockholm will mark the 20th anniversary of the N-ECCO Network Meeting.

The European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) has compiled its first Consensus on the dietary management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), recognising that the role of diet has evolved significantly beyond basic nutritional needs to become a therapeutic tool capable of influencing disease activity and complications.

Fatigue is increasingly recognised as one of the most distressing and disabling symptoms in children and adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Reported by 50%–86% of patients, it often persists even during remission and can outweigh abdominal pain in its impact on daily life. Its origins are multifactorial: active inflammation, micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, side effects of corticosteroids or anti-TNF therapy, poor sleep, psychological comorbidities including depression and anxiety, family dysfunction and reduced physical activity.

About 25% of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) cases occur in individuals under 18 years old, and its incidence in childhood—especially early childhood—is rising globally. Paediatric IBD differs notably from adult-onset disease in clinical presentation, histology, severity and genetic background. Children are often diagnosed earlier in the disease course, before complications or classic mucosal changes appear. The disease tends to be more extensive and aggressive, partly due to longer cumulative inflammation and higher genetic and environmental susceptibility.