Current Environment: Production

Medical Services

Specialties

Programs & Services

Languages

  • English

Education

Medical School

University of Toronto

1999, Toronto, Canada

Internship

Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University

2000, Cleveland, OH

Residency

Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University

2002, Cleveland, OH

Fellowship

Boston Children's Hospital

2006, Boston, MA

Certifications

  • American Board of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology)
  • Safe Zone Trained

Professional History

Dr. Elizabeth Hait has been a staff gastroenterologist at Boston Children’s Hospital for over a decade. While she maintains a thriving general pediatric GI practice, Dr. Hait has a particular interest in the relationship between the immune system of the GI tract and the environment.

As a fellow, she studied the gut microbiota and inflammatory mechanisms of recurrent inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) post colectomy. Dr. Hait also studied with Dr. Russ Hauser, Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, and brought her pediatric GI perspective to his work on endocrine disruptors. Phthalates are widely used chemicals that adversely affect male fertility in animal models. They are an inactive ingredient in Asacol®, a medication commonly used to treat children with IBD. Together, Dr. Hait and Dr. Russ designed a unique study to examine the effects of Asacol® on male reproductivity.  The clear impact of their work, and one of Dr. Hait’s proudest achievements, is that their study led to Warner Chilcott Pharmaceuticals replacing Asacol® with phthalate-free Delzicol®.

After fellowship, Dr. Hait was recruited to become a faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital and helped build a multidisciplinary program to treat children with allergic gastrointestinal disorders. Boston Children’s Hospital’s Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease (EGID) Program was the first program of its kind in the Northeast. Our team has published several articles on novel therapeutic approaches to treat allergic gastrointestinal disorders.

Publications

  1. The role of dupilumab in the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. Immunotherapy. 2024; 16(13):845-852. View Abstract

  2. Piloting a multidisciplinary group education session to support caregivers of children with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2023 Oct; 11(10):3260-3262.e1. View Abstract

  3. Update on Emerging Pharmacologic Therapies for Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2022 Apr; 18(4):207-212. View Abstract

  4. Treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2020 11; 36(6):485-490. View Abstract

  5. Impact of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease on Mucosal Immunity and Atopic Disorders. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2019 Oct; 57(2):213-225. View Abstract

  6. Oral viscous mometasone is an effective treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2020 Mar; 8(3):1107-1109. View Abstract

  7. Mechanical Skin Injury Promotes Food Anaphylaxis by Driving Intestinal Mast Cell Expansion. Immunity. 2019 05 21; 50(5):1262-1275.e4. View Abstract

  8. Dibutyl-phthalate exposure from mesalamine medications and serum thyroid hormones in men. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2019 01; 222(1):101-110. View Abstract

  9. A crossover-crossback prospective study of dibutyl-phthalate exposure from mesalamine medications and serum reproductive hormones in men. Environ Res. 2018 01; 160:121-131. View Abstract

  10. High Prevalence of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease in Children With Intestinal Failure. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2016 09; 63(3):336-9. View Abstract

  11. A crossover-crossback prospective study of dibutyl-phthalate exposure from mesalamine medications and semen quality in men with inflammatory bowel disease. Environ Int. 2016 Oct; 95:120-30. View Abstract

  12. Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations among men with inflammatory bowel disease on mesalamine therapy. Endocr Disruptors (Austin). 2014 Oct 20; 1(1). View Abstract

  13. Comparison of 2 delivery vehicles for viscous budesonide to treat eosinophilic esophagitis in children. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014 Sep; 59(3):317-20. View Abstract

  14. Topical inhaled ciclesonide for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2012 Oct; 130(4):1011; author reply 1011-2. View Abstract

  15. Distinct microbiome in pouchitis compared to healthy pouches in ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2011 May; 17(5):1092-100. View Abstract

  16. Self-management of older adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study of behavior and knowledge as prelude to transition. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2010 Dec; 49(12):1129-33. View Abstract

  17. Clinical scenario--an 18-year-old with acute dysphagia and meat impaction. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009 Jul; 7(7):721-4. View Abstract

  18. Transition of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease from pediatric to adult care: a survey of adult gastroenterologists. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2009 Jan; 48(1):61-5. View Abstract

  19. First evidence of a possible association between gastric acid suppression during pregnancy and childhood asthma: a population-based register study. Clin Exp Allergy. 2009 Feb; 39(2):246-53. View Abstract

  20. Clinical significance of colonic intraepithelial lymphocytosis in a pediatric population. Mod Pathol. 2009 Jan; 22(1):13-20. View Abstract

  21. Baby steps: determining the relationship between Crohn's activity and birth outcomes. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2007 Dec; 13(12):1578. View Abstract

  22. Why good pouches go bad. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2007 Jan; 13(1):116-7. View Abstract

  23. Pouch outcomes among children with ulcerative colitis treated with calcineurin inhibitors before ileal pouch anal anastomosis surgery. J Pediatr Surg. 2007 Jan; 42(1):31-4; discussion 34-5. View Abstract

  24. Gastrointestinal tract involvement in Langerhans cell histiocytosis: case report and literature review. Pediatrics. 2006 Nov; 118(5):e1593-9. View Abstract

  25. Air swallowing caused recurrent ileus in Tourette's syndrome. Pediatrics. 2006 Jun; 117(6):e1249-52. View Abstract

  26. Educate, communicate, anticipate-practical recommendations for transitioning adolescents with IBD to adult health care. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2006 Jan; 12(1):70-3. View Abstract

  27. Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease: what children can teach adults. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Jun; 11(6):519-27. View Abstract

I believe that parents know their children best. I know that really listening to the parents of my patients is the most effective tool that I have as a doctor to determine the root cause of their children's issue.

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