Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program
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Why choose UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals for pediatric IBD care?
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receive advanced, attentive care at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. We specialize in diagnosing, assessing, treating and managing pediatric Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, early-onset IBD and microscopic colitis, customizing a care plan for your child and family.
Our team addresses every aspect of IBD, including its effects on your child's quality of life and emotional well-being. Our IBD specialists work closely with you and your child to develop a personalized treatment plan to improve symptoms or achieve remission when possible.
We are one of Northern California's largest IBD programs and ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top programs in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery. We offer innovative approaches, including integrative medicine, intestinal monitoring, nutritional therapies and clinical trials to help manage IBD and support your child's overall health.
Why choose UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals for pediatric IBD care?
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receive advanced, attentive care at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. We specialize in diagnosing, assessing, treating and managing pediatric Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, early-onset IBD and microscopic colitis, customizing a care plan for your child and family.
Our team addresses every aspect of IBD, including its effects on your child's quality of life and emotional well-being. Our IBD specialists work closely with you and your child to develop a personalized treatment plan to improve symptoms or achieve remission when possible.
We are one of Northern California's largest IBD programs and ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top programs in the nation for gastroenterology and GI surgery. We offer innovative approaches, including integrative medicine, intestinal monitoring, nutritional therapies and clinical trials to help manage IBD and support your child's overall health.
High-volume pediatric IBD expertise
Our pediatric IBD specialists provide ongoing care for more than 800 children and teens, using our experience to tailor therapies to your child's needs.Coordinated specialty care for IBD
We work with pediatric experts in immunology, dermatology, infectious disease, ophthalmology, rheumatology and endocrinology to provide comprehensive care.Less invasive monitoring options
Your child may receive an intestinal ultrasound to monitor IBD. We're one of the few programs in the region offering this noninvasive alternative to MRI or endoscopy.Access to pediatric IBD clinical trials
Our experts are studying new medications and ways to improve pediatric IBD care. Your child may have access to emerging treatments through clinical trials.
Our pediatric IBD care program
Inflammatory bowel disease causes chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. We treat children with a range of IBD diagnoses, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, early-onset IBD and microscopic colitis.
Symptoms of IBD in children may include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, stomach pain, joint pain, fever, poor growth and weight loss. Our team works to reduce and manage symptoms, helping your child live an active life.
Our skilled, multilingual pediatric IBD specialists provide attentive, compassionate care. Your child's care team includes:
Gastroenterologists
Nurses
Registered pediatric dietitians
Surgeons
Pathologists
Pharmacists
Our child life specialists and social workers are also available to help you and your child manage the emotional and financial challenges of IBD.
Collaborative IBD care
Because IBD symptoms can impact multiple areas of the body, your child's gastroenterologist works closely with other UCSF pediatric specialists to manage IBD-related symptoms, including joint pain and skin concerns.
When needed, we coordinate IBD care with experts in:
Immunology
Rheumatology
Dermatology
Psychiatry and psychology
Radiology
Hepatology (liver care)
Infectious disease
Endocrinology
Ophthalmology
Genetics
IBD therapies
We help your child and family identify factors that may worsen IBD symptoms, including stress or certain foods. Your child's IBD treatment plan may include a combination of several therapies that we adjust over time, including:
Medications. Oral pills, IV infusions and injections may reduce inflammation in the intestines. Your child may receive infusion therapy in a comfortable, child-friendly environment at one of our Bay Area locations.
Nutritional approaches. Registered pediatric dietitians provide nutritional guidance tailored to your child's needs and symptoms. In some cases, nutritional therapy may help treat IBD.
Integrative therapies. Our pediatric integrative medicine specialists provide complementary therapies to help reduce IBD-related symptoms.
Surgical procedures. When other therapies aren't providing relief, our skilled pediatric general surgeons and colorectal surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to treat severe IBD.
Clinical trials for pediatric IBD
In addition to FDA-approved medications for pediatric IBD, we offer access to promising new treatments through clinical trials. Your child's provider will let you know if a clinical trial may be right for them.
Intestinal ultrasound
We may recommend intestinal ultrasound to monitor inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We are one of the few programs in the Western U.S. offering this less invasive alternative to MRI or endoscopy when appropriate.
Intestinal ultrasound may be necessary if your child needs frequent monitoring or an urgent evaluation for suddenly worsening symptoms.
Locations (dynamic)
Providers
Sabina Ali, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Sofia Verstraete, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Mel Heyman, MD, MPH
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Lan Vu, MD
General Surgery • Pediatric Surgery
Awards & achievements
800
children receiving ongoing IBD care
Best in Northern California and top 10 in the nation for gastroenterology & GI surgery
Ranked among the nation's best in 11 specialties
Related conditions & treatments
Conditions
- Crohn's Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Microscopic Colitis
- Ulcerative Colitis
Treatments
- Clinical Trials
- Infusion Therapy
- Nutritional Counseling
Accreditations & memberships
ImproveCareNow network partnerOpens in a new window
ImproveCareNow (ICN) is an international pediatric IBD community. As a network partner, we use leading therapies and imaging technology to help all children get effective IBD care.
Trials & research
Clinical trials
A Study to Learn More About How Risankizumab Works in Young Participants With Ulcerative ColitisOpens in a new window
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and bleeding from the lining of the rectum and colon (large intestine). This study will assess how Risankizumab moves through the body as well as how safe and effective it is in treating pediatric participants with moderate to severely active UC. Adverse events and change in disease activity will be assessed...Crohn's Disease: Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Upadacitinib in Pediatric Subjects With Moderately to Severely Active Crohn's DiseaseOpens in a new window
Crohn's disease (CD) is a long-lasting disease that causes severe inflammation (redness, swelling), in the digestive tract, most often affecting the bowels. It can cause many different symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, tiredness, and weight loss...A Study to Assess Adverse Events, Change in Disease Activity, and How Intravenous and Subcutaneous Risankizumab Moves Through the Body of Pediatric Participants With Moderately to Severely Active Crohn's DiseaseOpens in a new window
Crohn's Disease (CD) is a gastrointestinal disease that can cause chronic diarrhea with or without gross bleeding, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever. This study will assess the pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of risankizumab in pediatric participants with moderately to severely active CD aged 2 to < 18 years old who have had intolerance or inadequate response to other therapies...Clinical, Imaging, and Endoscopic Outcomes of Children Newly Diagnosed With Crohn's DiseaseOpens in a new window
Crohn's disease (CD) is a condition that causes inflammation (swelling, redness) of the lining and wall of the small intestine, large intestine, or both. CD may be associated with abdominal cramps/pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool, weight loss, or delayed growth in children...
Recommended reading
Easier way to monitor IBD in kidsOpens in a new window
We are one of the few hospitals in the West offering intestinal ultrasound to pediatric patients.
Support services
Child Life
Certified child life specialists ease the stress and anxiety of childhood illness through therapeutic play, schooling and family-focused support.
Family Amenities
Family-friendly amenities help you relax and take care of yourself while staying close to your child. We offer lounges, kitchens, showers, breastfeeding rooms and more.
Social Services at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
Social workers ease the effect of illness, injury and hospitalization on your family with counseling and assistance to help you navigate the challenges.
Activity Rooms
Activity rooms offer a relaxed environment for children of all ages. Features include a playroom, digital arts studio and teen lounge. Find out more.
Pediatric Art Therapy Program
Art therapy helps kids and families express themselves, making it easier to cope with pediatric health issues. Group and bedside services are available.
Pediatric Music Therapy Program
Board-certified music therapists help kids cope with illness and the feelings that come with it. Find out about group activities and bedside therapy.
School Program for Hospitalized Children
Our schoolroom services and individual learning programs help children hospitalized at UCSF continue their education and get ready to return to school.
School Re-Entry Program
We help kids return to school after hospitalization by educating staff and students about their needs and recommending needed accommodations. Read more.
Individual Playtime & Instruction
If your child can't be around other kids for medical reasons, you can sign up for private sessions in our activity and school rooms. Find out how.
Interpreter Services & Communication Assistance at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
Interpreter services in many languages and TDDs are available for families that need help communicating with care teams. Here's how to access them.
Family Resource Center
We help families cope with the challenges of childhood illness and hospitalization in a relaxing environment where parents can get a much-needed break.
Parent Support Program
Weekly activities, including knitting, scrapbooking, chair massage and more, help family caregivers get a much-needed break. Find out more.
Patient Relations at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
Patient relations reps and nursing supervisors are here to answer questions and address concerns. Learn about your rights, how to reach us and more.
Spiritual Care at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
Chaplains help UCSF patients, families and staff cope with the spiritual and emotional challenges of childhood illness. Learn more.
International Services at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals
If you're coming to UCSF from outside the U.S., we coordinate your child's appointments and provide other helpful services. Here's how to get started.
IBD care for adults
Authoring Notes
Preprod-only checklist. Remove this component before promoting to prod.
Content source URLs (1)
Warnings (6)
- Related Content Grid card 'ImproveCareNow network partner' is in a second grid in the deck; the page has one grid, so it was not imported. Place it by hand.
- Care keyword 'intestinal ultrasound for ibd' not found under /sitecore/content/UCSFWEB/Shared/Base/Data/Clinical Tag Library/Clinical Keywords — add an entry to clinical_keyword_aliases.json if the Sitecore item is named differently.
- Care keyword 'pediatric ibd clinical trials' not found under /sitecore/content/UCSFWEB/Shared/Base/Data/Clinical Tag Library/Clinical Keywords — add an entry to clinical_keyword_aliases.json if the Sitecore item is named differently.
- Care keyword 'pediatric ibd treatment' not found under /sitecore/content/UCSFWEB/Shared/Base/Data/Clinical Tag Library/Clinical Keywords — add an entry to clinical_keyword_aliases.json if the Sitecore item is named differently.
- Care keyword 'pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (ibd) care' not found under /sitecore/content/UCSFWEB/Shared/Base/Data/Clinical Tag Library/Clinical Keywords — add an entry to clinical_keyword_aliases.json if the Sitecore item is named differently.
- Legacy care keyword(s) matched no Clinical Keyword: Primary immune regulatory disorder (PIRD) – associated intestinal inflammation, Very Early Onset IBD (VEO-IBD), Nutritional IBD therapies, Postsurgical IBD care - add an entry to scripts/care_keyword_aliases.json.
Word doc notes (8)
Lauren Lamb · 2025-08-19T12:24:00Z
Anchored to: “Meta and tags”
Primary keyword:
pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (ibd) care
Secondary keywords: ibd, crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, pediatric ibd treatment, intestinal ultrasound for ibd, pediatric ibd clinical trials
Ali, Sabina · 2026-10-02T11:53:00Z
Anchored to: “Meta and tags”IBD-U (Unclassified) ,very early onset IBD (IBD), monogenic IBD, Nutritional therapy (NT) for IBD, complex IBD, comprhensive care
Morgan Redding · 2026-09-08T16:14:00Z
Anchored to: “marketing”
UCSF: Per Jenny 5/27/26: "Tim and I talked this through and it seems like there are several reasons to keep a service page for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Care on the new site.
1. The current https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/clinics/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-program page is coming up high in search results and AI search results, as well as in a paid Google search result. Not sure that a condition page on the new site would be as strong a replacement (partly because of how condition pages and their CTAs are currently designed; this could be revamped but not sure we have the bandwidth to do that on the tight project timeline).
2. We plan to have a service page on the new site for Pediatric Celiac Disease Care. Might seem lopsided to have a service page for that and not for IBD. This is a bit of a can of worms.
3. Some of our competitors do have a dedicated clinical services page for their IBD program.
So Kelly, we're leaning toward keeping a dedicated service page for Pediatric IBD Care on the new site at this stage. Down the road we may overhaul how condition-oriented programs are presented.
How does that sound?
https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/clinics/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-program
https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd"
Per Kelly 5/28/26: "Jenny - After doing further review as a part of the content strategy process and understanding the limitations of utilizing a condition page only, I agree that we should keep the IBD page as is. Thank you!"
Morgan Redding · 2026-09-11T09:38:00Z
Anchored to: “NOTE:”
UCSF PROD: See below. The SME said the provider list is not up to date. She sent me this updated list via email in February 2026:
IBD Physicians – Sabina Ali , Sofia Verstraete, Mel Heyman
surgeons – Lan Vu, Doruk Ozgediz, Sarah Cairo, Aaron Jensen
Immunology physicians – Alice Chan, Lauren Sanchez, Jennifer Puck and Morna Dorsey
Clinical Research Manager : Emily Stekol, CCRP
Morgan Redding · 2026-09-11T12:52:00Z
Anchored to: “800”
UCSF: NEW from SME
McGrath, Timothy · 2026-10-23T11:21:00Z
Anchored to: “800”Same Q as above: Is this 800 under our care right now? Is that number the typical patient volume at any given time?
Morgan Redding · 2026-10-26T08:37:00Z
Anchored to: “800”Tim: The SME said they “actively follow over 800 patients across both SF and East Bay locations”
Ali, Sabina · 2026-10-02T11:56:00Z
Anchored to: “marketing”
Agree with having a IBD page due to the volume of patients, expertise, UCSF adult IBD program partnership and regional market ( KP, Stanford, Davis, Sutter)
Ali, Sabina · 2026-10-02T12:54:00Z
Anchored to: “NOTE:”
Please update list
GI: Sabina Ali , Sofia Verstraete, Mel Heyman
surgeons – Lan Vu, Doruk Ozgediz, Sarah Cairo, Aaron Jensen
Immunology physicians – Morna Dorsey, Lauren Sanchez, Jennifer Puck
Rheumatology - keep the current physicians on the current page - Susan ,Geraldina, Emily, Erica
IBD APP- David Drevno
Integrative Medicine - David Becker, Jenifer Matthews (https://osher.ucsf.edu/people/jenifer-matthews)
Dermatology - Nicole Kittler,Kelly Cordoro
Reg Dieticians - Megan Murphy, Alexis Fissinger
Clinical Research Manager : Emily Stekol, CCRP
McGrath, Timothy · 2026-10-23T11:14:00Z
Anchored to: “800 children and teens,”
Is this per year or the typical volume of current patients? Can you clarify very briefly?
Morgan Redding · 2026-10-26T08:34:00Z
Anchored to: “800 children and teens,”Tim: The SME said they “actively follow over 800 patients across both SF and East Bay locations”; revised to clarify.
McGrath, Timothy · 2026-10-23T11:24:00Z
Anchored to: “Related Content Grid - Optional”
UCSF PROD: Use accreditation and membership component here.