Introduction. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of autoimmune conditions that include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Due to an immunocompromised state, parents should have a high level of knowledge of available vaccinations, various therapies as well as possible complications that may develop in their children. Aim. Assessment of knowledge on inflammatory bowel disease in parents of children hospitalized in the Children’s Memorial Health Institute (IP-CZD) Material and Methods. 45 parents of children hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children’s Memorial Health Institute (IP-CZD) between April and June 2015 (28 women); mean age: 43 years. An anonymous, voluntary survey: a questionnaire comprised 25 questions. Statistical analysis: STATISTICA 10.0, significance level at p < 0.005. Results. Less than half of the respondents knew that osteoporosis was a recognised complication of inflammatory bowel disease. Over half of the respondents did not know that complications of IBD included also recurrent respiratory infections and that children with inflammatory bowel disease should avoid eating raw meat and eggs. Conclusions. General knowledge of the disease among respondents was insufficient. It would be advisable to develop an educational campaign, introduce a larger number of consultations with dieticians and improve methods of communication.

Key words: bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis.