Global Pediatrics · Published 2026-07-30 · DOI 10.1016/j.gpeds.2026.100370
Antonio Corsello, Luca Scarallo, Claudio Romano
The rising incidence of pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) across industrialized and developing countries cannot be explained by genetic factors alone, pointing toward a substantial contribution of environmental exposures acting on a genetically susceptible host. Early-life antibiotic exposure represents the most consistently reproduced risk factor across independent registries, with a dose- and time-dependent relationship. Evidence regarding cesarean delivery, breastfeeding, early diet, air pollution, smoking, and appendectomy remains heterogeneous and often discordant between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This article summarizes current knowledge on environmental determinants of pediatric IBD and outlines future research priorities, drawing on medical literature including narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and population-based cohort studies
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Corsello, A., Scarallo, L., Romano, C. (2026). Environmental determinants of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: a brief overview. Global Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gpeds.2026.100370