SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Outcomes in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review

The impact of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) is still not clear and the knowledge acquired over the last 2 years is still evolving. This study aims to investigate the risk and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with PIBD. A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted to identify studies published up until September 2022. Out of the 475 articles screened, 14 studies were included in the review. Of the 4006 children with PIBD included, 390 (9.7%) tested positive for COVID-19. Among those with COVID-19, 5.9% (0-16.7%) needed hospitalization, 0.6% (0-1%) were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and no deaths were reported. Among the included studies, only four presented details regarding patients' symptoms, with 21% (0-25%) presenting gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. An association between PIBD activity or specific treatment and COVID-19 outcome could not be established. The prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with PIBD was low; therefore, the initial concerns regarding higher infection risk and worse prognosis in this population are not supported by the currently available data. Further research is needed to determine the natural history of the infection and the optimal treatment for these patients. Much is still unclear and additional studies should be performed in order to optimize prevention and care for this special group of patients.