Chonnam National University Yoonha Noh Research Team Confirms Link Between Pediatric Acid-Suppressing Agents and Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Professor Noh Yoonha, College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University.

A study has suggested that the use of acid-suppressing agents, which are commonly prescribed to children, may be associated with the development of inflammatory bowel disease. The risk was found to be relatively higher in cases where these medications were prescribed without clear therapeutic indications, highlighting the need for careful consideration when prescribing such drugs in pediatric care settings.

According to Chonnam National University on January 14, a research team led by Professor Yoonha Noh from the College of Pharmacy compared the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease between children and adolescents who were prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a type of acid-suppressing medication, and those who were prescribed other types of acid-suppressing agents, such as histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs). The study utilized nationwide health insurance data from 2002 to 2020, tracking the health status of children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years after their use of these medications.

The results showed that the occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease was relatively higher among children who used these acid-suppressing agents. However, the absolute incidence was very low, with approximately 3 cases per 10,000 children observed over the course of a year. By disease type, a more pronounced difference was observed in ulcerative colitis, while no statistically significant difference was found for Crohn's disease.

The significance of this study lies in its large-scale drug safety analysis focusing directly on children. Children may respond differently to medications compared to adults due to their stages of growth and development, but related research has been limited due to ethical and practical constraints. To address these limitations, the research team systematically evaluated the impact of pediatric drug use by leveraging long-term accumulated health insurance data.

Additionally, the study's findings are closely related to the global issue of excessive prescription of acid-suppressing agents. The researchers noted that the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease was relatively higher among children who were prescribed these medications without clear therapeutic indications.

Professor Yoonha Noh stated, "Acid-suppressing agents are effective treatments when truly necessary," but also emphasized, "In cases where symptoms are mild or there is no clear indication, it is important to reassess the need for medication."

The research team added, "These results analyze the 'association' between drug use and disease occurrence; they do not directly predict or determine the cause of disease in individual children." They stressed, "Rather than discontinuing medication arbitrarily, it is important to thoroughly consult with healthcare providers regarding the child's symptoms and the therapeutic benefits."

The team expects that this study will strengthen the evidence base for pediatric drug safety and help establish more cautious prescribing standards in pediatric clinical practice. This research was conducted as an international collaboration with researchers from McGill University in Canada and Sungkyunkwan University, and was supported by the Health and Medical Technology Research and Development Project of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.