The Hidden Price Tag of Raising a Child with IBD

Parents of children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) face a heavy financial and emotional toll. This burden comes from both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include medical bills, special diets, and travel expenses. Indirect costs include lost wages due to missed work. The study looked at families dealing with two types of IBD: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). It found that families spend a lot on private medical care. For UC, the average monthly cost was PLN 312. 3. For CD, it was even higher, at PLN 513. 3. Travel expenses also add up. Families with a child with UC spend about PLN 215. 9 per month on travel. For CD, it's PLN 302. 3. This is because specialized care is often far away. Parents also miss work to care for their children. This leads to lost income and more stress. The study shows that IBD doesn't just affect the child. It impacts the whole family's well-being and finances.