Corticosteroid therapy may be more effective than enteral nutrition (EN) for induction of clinical remission in adults with active Crohn’s disease (CD), according to a recent Cochrane review. The review included 27 studies and 1,011 participants comparing one type of EN to another type of EN or conventional corticosteroids. The primary outcome was clinical remission. Among the findings:

• Steroids may be more effective than EN for induction of remission in adults with active CD.
• However, EN may be more effective than steroids for induction of remission in children with active CD.
• There was no difference in remission rates between elemental and non-elemental diets.
• EN should be considered in pediatric Crohn’s patients or in adult patients who can comply with nasogastric tube feeding or perceive the formulations to be palatable, or when steroid side effects are not tolerated.