Low bone mineral density in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a population-based study from Western Sweden.

Background: Low bone mineral density (BMD) has been recognized as a potential problem in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the study was to investigate BMD in Swedish children and adolescents with IBD and to evaluate possible factors affecting BMD.

Methods: To evaluate BMD, all patients (n = 144) underwent a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the whole body and the spine.