Diet fortification for mild and moderate picky eating in typically developed children:Opinion review of Middle East consensus

BACKGROUND Picky eating is a commonly observed behavior among children globally,negatively impacting their physical and mental growth.Although common characteristics distinguish peaky eaters,including food selectivity,food neophobia,and food avoidance,there is no clear definition to assess this behavior.Due to the unavailability of data regarding picky eating,it wasn’t easy to estimate its prevalence.AIM To develop a regional protocol to help healthcare professionals identify and manage mild and moderate picky eating cases.METHODS A virtual roundtable discussion was held in April 2021 to gather the opinions of seven pediatricians and two pediatric dietitians from eight Middle Eastern countries who had great experience in the management of picky eating.The discussion covered different topics,including clearly defining mild and moderate picky eating,identifying the role of diet fortification in these cases,and the possibility of developing a systematic approach to diet fortification.RESULTS The panel identified picky eating as consuming an inadequate amount and variety of foods by rejecting familiar and unfamiliar food.Most of the time,moderate picky eating cases had micronutrient deficiencies with over-or undernutrition;the mild cases only showed inadequate food consumption and/or poor diet quality.Paying attention to the organic red flags like growth faltering and development delay and behavioral red flags,including food fixation and anticipatory gagging,will help healthcare professionals evaluate the picky eaters and the caregivers to care for their children.Although dietary supplementation and commercial food fortification play an important role in picky eating,they were no benefit in the Middle East.CONCLUSION The panel agreed that food fortification through a food-first approach and oral nutritional supplements would be the best for Middle Eastern children.These recommendations would facilitate identifying and managing picky-eating children in the Middle East.

Therapeutic upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy in Paediatric Gastroenterology

Since the first report of use of endoscopy in children in the 1970 s, there has seen an exponential growthin published experience and innovation in the field. In this review article we focus on modern age therapeutic endoscopy practice, explaining use of traditional as well as new and innovative techniques, for diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the paediatric upper gastrointestinal tract.

Use of endolumenal functional lumen imaging probe in investigating paediatric gastrointestinal motility disorders

Investigating gastrointestinal(GI)motility disorders relies on diagnostic tools to assess muscular contractions,peristalsis propagation and the integrity and coordination of various sphincters.Manometries are the gold standard to study the GI motor function but it is increasingly acknowledged that manometries do not provide a complete picture in relation to sphincters competencies and muscle fibrosis.Endolumenal functional lumen imaging probe(EndoFLIP)an emerging technology,uses impedance planimetry to measure hollow organs cross sectional area,distensibility and compliance.It has been successfully used as a complementary tool in the assessment of the upper and lower oesophageal sphincters,oesophageal body,the pylorus and the anal canal.In this article,we aim to review the uses of EndoFLIP as a tool to investigate GI motility disorders with a special focus on paediatric practice.The majority of EndoFLIP studies were conducted in adult patients but the uptake of the technology in paediatrics is increasing.EndoFLIP can provide a useful complementary data to the existing GI motility investigation in both children and adults.

Probiotics for gastrointestinal disorders: Proposed recommendations for children of the Asia-Pacific region

Recommendations for probiotics are available in several regions. This paper proposes recommendations for probiotics in pediatric gastrointestinal diseases in the Asia-Pacific region. Epidemiology and clinical patterns of intestinal diseases in Asia-Pacific countries were discussed. Evidence-based recommendations and randomized controlled trials in the region were revised. Cultural aspects,health management issues and economic factors were also considered. Final recommendations were approved by applying the Likert scale and rated using the GRADE system. Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745(Sb) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG(LGG) were strongly recommended as adjunct treatment to oral rehydration therapy for gastroenteritis. Lactobacillus reuteri could also be considered. Probiotics may be considered for prevention of(with the indicated strains): antibiotic-associated diarrhea(LGG or Sb); Clostridium difficile-induced diarrhea(Sb); nosocomial diarrhea(LGG); infantile colic(L reuteri) and as adjunct treatment of Helicobacter pylori(Sb and others). Specific probiotics with a history of safe use in preterm and term infants may be considered in infants for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis. There is insufficient evidence for recommendations in other conditions. Despite a diversity of epidemiological,socioeconomical and health system conditions,similar recommendations apply well to Asia pacific countries. These need to be validated with local randomized-controlled trials.

Use of thiopurines in inflammatory bowel disease: Safety issues

Thiopurines are widely used for maintenance treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Interindividual variability in clinical response to thiopurines may be attributed to several factors including genetic polymorphisms, severity and chronicity of disease, comorbidities, duration of administration, compliance issues and use of concomitant medication, environmental factors and clinician and patient preferences. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current evidence on thiopurine safety and toxicity, to describe adverse drug events and emphasise the significance of drug interactions, and to discuss the relative safety of thiopurine use in adults, elderly patients, children and pregnant women. Thiopurines are safe to use and well tolerated, however dose adjustment or discontinuation of treatment must be considered in cases of non-response, poor compliance or toxicity. Drug safety, clinical response to treatment and short to long term risks and benefits must be balanced throughout treatment duration for different categories of patients. Treatment should be individualised and stratified according to patient requirements. Enzymatic testing prior to treatment commencement is advised. Surveillance with regular clinic follow-up and monitoring of laboratory markers is important. Data on long term efficacy, safety of thiopurine use and interaction with other disease modifying drugs are lacking, especially in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease. High quality, collaborative clinical research is required so as to inform clinical practice in the future.

Utilisation of magnets to enhance gastrointestinal endoscopy

Methods to assess, access and treat pathology within the gastrointestinal tract continue to evolve with video endoscopy replacing radiology as the gold standard. Whilst endoscope technology develops further with the advent of newer higher resolution chips, an array of adjuncts has been developed to enhance endoscopy in other ways; most notable is the use of magnets. Magnets are utilised in many areas, ranging from endoscopic training, lesion resection, aiding manoeuvrability of capsule endoscopes, to assisting in easy placement of tubes for nutritional feeding. Some of these are still at an experimental stage, whilst others are being increasingly incorporated in our everyday practice.

Widespread use of gastric acid inhibitors in infants:Are they needed? Are they safe?

Gastroesophageal reflux is a common phenomenon in infants,but the differentiation between gastro-esophageal reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease can be difficult.Symptoms are non-specific and there is increasing evidence that the majority of symptoms may not be acid-related.Despite this,gastric acid inhibitors such as proton pump inhibitors are widely and increasingly used,often without objective evidence or investigations to guide treatment.Several studies have shown that these medications are ineffective at treating symptoms associated with reflux in the absence of endoscopically proven oesophagitis.With a lack of evidence for efficacy,attention is now being turned to the potential risks of gastric acid suppression.Previously assumed safety of these medications is being challenged with evidence of potential side effects including GI and respiratory infections,bacterial overgrowth,adverse bone health,food allergy and drug interactions.

Challenges of banding jejunal varices in an 8-year-old child

Endoscoic variceal ligation(EVL) by the application of bands on small bowel varices is a relatively rare procedure in gastroenterology and hepatology. There are no previously reported paediatric cases of EVL for jejunal varices. We report a case of an eight-yearold male patient with a complex surgical background leading to jejunal varices and short bowel syndrome, presenting with obscure but profound acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Wireless capsule endoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy(DBE) confirmed jejunal varices as the source of bleeding. The commercially available variceal banding devices are not long enough to be used either with DBE or with push enteroscopes. With the use of an operating gastroscope, four bands were placed successfully on the afferent and efferent ends of the leads of the 2 of the varices. Initial hemostasis was achieved with obliteration of the varices after three separate applications. This case illustrates the feasibility of achieving initial hemostasis in the pediatric population.

Feasibility of a finger prick-based self-testing kit in first- and second-degree relatives of children with coeliac disease

AIM:To assess feasibility of a finger prick-based kit as method for self-testing of first and second-degree relatives of coeliac disease (CD) patients. METHODS:A total number of 379 subjects were invited to participate in this study,consisting of 197 first- degree and 182 second-degree relatives of CD patients. The self-testing kit (BiocardTM) was sent out with included instructions for use. Completed tests were sent back to the study coordinator for assessment. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-six invited relatives carried out the BiocardTM test at home. Amongst these,70% were children. In 97% of the cases the test was performed correctly. Three tests revealed a positive result,all of which were later confirmed by serology and histology as coeliac disease.CONCLUSION:Our study indicates that BiocardTM test is a reliable,easy to use and well-accepted tool for home testing of first- and second-degree relatives of CD patients.

Flatography: Detection of gastrointestinal diseases by faecal gas analysis

Patients presenting with gastro-intestinal symptoms might suffer from a range of possible underlying diseases. An unmet need exists for novel cost-effective,reproducible, easy-to-perform and non-invasive tests. Hippocrates used body odours to diagnose diseases circa 460 before Christ. The art of diagnostic smelling is making a promising high-tech come-back with portable "electronic diagnostic noses". Analysis of faecal volatile organic compounds is a novel field in metabolomics with considerable potential to improve the diagnosis, phenotyping and monitoring of gastro-intestinal disease. Challenges will be to mature over the coming years by development of a standardized methodology for stool sample collection, storage, handling and analysis. Furthermore, key volatiles need to be identified to improve test accuracy and sensitivity by development of sensors tailored toward the accurate identification of disease specific volatiles. If these challenges are adequately faced, analysis of faecal volatiles has realistic potential to considerably improve screening, diagnosis and disease monitoring for gastro-intestinal diseases.

Childhood constipation as an emerging public health problem

Functional constipation(FC) is a significant health problem in children and contrary to common belief, has serious ramifications on the lives of children and their families. It is defined by the Rome criteria which encourage the use of multiple clinical features for diagnosis. FC in children has a high prevalence(0.7%-29%) worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. Biopsychosocial risk factors such as psychological stress, poor dietary habits, obesity and child maltreatment are commonly identified predisposing factors for FC. FC poses a significant healthcare burden on the already overstretched health budgets of many countries in terms of out-patient care, in-patient care, expenditure for investigations and prescriptions. Complications are common and range from minor psychological disturbances, to lower health-related quality of life. FC in children also has a significant impact on families. Many paediatric clinical trials have poor methodological quality, and drugs proved to be useful in adults, are not effective in relieving symptoms in children. A significant proportion of inadequately treated children have similar symptoms as adults. These factors show that constipation is an increasing public health problem across the world with a significant medical, social and economic impact. This article highlights the potential public health impact of FC and the possibility of overcoming this problem by concentrating on modifiable risk factors rather than expending resources on high cost investigations and therapeutic modalities.

Treating children with inflammatory bowel disease: Current and new perspectives

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gut characterised by alternating periods of remission and relapse. Whilst the mechanism underlying this disease is yet to be fully understood, old and newer generation treatments can only target selected pathways of this complex inflammatory process. This narrative review aims to provide an update on the most recent advances in treatment of paediatric IBD. A MEDLINE search was conducted using "paediatric inflammatory bowel disease", "paediatric Crohn's disease", "paediatric ulcerative colitis", "treatment", "therapy", "immunosuppressant", "biologic", "monitoring" and "biomarkers" as key words. Clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published between 2014 and 2016 were selected. Studies referring to earlier periods were also considered in case the data was relevant to our scope. Major advances have been achieved in monitoring the individual metabolism, toxicity and response to relevant medications in IBD including thiopurines and biologics. New biologics acting on novel mechanisms such as selective interference with lymphocyte trafficking are emerging treatment options. Current research is investing in the development of reliable prognostic biomarkers, aiming to move towards personalised treatments targeted to individual patients.

Fatigue in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease

AIM To identify factors other than active disease and anemia that contribute to fatigue in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).METHODS We performed an electronic search in Medline and EMBASE from their inception to May 2017 using the search term "fatigue" or the related keywords "physical impairment" and "inflammatory bowel disease" with the filter "child"(age 0-18 years). Cross-sectional and case-control studies were included. We restricted our search to studies published in English. We used the PRISMA checklist and flow diagram. Duplicate articles were manually deleted in End Note. To identify further relevant studies, we checked the reference lists of the selected articles.RESULTS We identified 149 papers, of which 19 were retrieved for full text review. Eleven studies were subsequently excluded because fatigue was not evaluated as an outcome measure. Eight papers focused on the desired topic and were discussed in the final analysis. A lack of uniformity of outcome measures made the pooling of data impossible. In all but one study, questionnaires were used to evaluate fatigue. In the remaining study, an accelerometer was used to measure daily activities, sleeping time and their relationships with fatigue in a more quantifiable manner. Adolescents with IBD are significantly more fatigued than healthy controls. In addition to active disease, increased anxiety or depression and disturbed family relationships were frequently reported predictors of fatigue. Quantitative measurement of physical activity in patients with Crohn's disease showed a reduction in the number of steps per day, and patients with ulcerative colitis had a shorter duration of physical activity during the day.CONCLUSION Fatigue in pediatric IBD is related to a combination of biological, functional and behavioral factors, which should all be taken into account when managing fatigue.

Fatty liver in childhood

Fatty liver is a growing health problem worldwide. It might evolve to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and cause hepatocellular carcinoma. This disease, which has increased because of eating habits, changes in food content and lifestyle, affects people from childhood. The most important risk factors are obesity and insulin resistance. Besides these factors, gender, ethnicity, genetic predisposition and some medical problems are also important. Cirrhosis in children is rare but is reported. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) has no specific symptoms or signs but should be considered in obese children. NAFLD does not have a proven treatment. Weight loss with family based treatments is the most acceptable management. Exercise and an applicable diet with low glycemic index and appropriate calorie intake are preferred. Drugs are promising but not sufficient in children for today.

Oesophageal atresia: The growth gap

Poor growth is an under-recognised yet significant long-term sequelae of oesophageal atresia(OA)repair.Few studies have specifically explored the reasons for growth impairment in this complex cohort.The association between poor growth with younger age and fundoplication appears to have the strongest supportive evidence,highlighting the need for early involvement of a dietitian and speech pathologist,and consideration of optimal medical reflux management prior to referring for anti-reflux surgery.However,it remains difficult to reach conclusions regarding other factors which may negatively influence growth,due to conflicting findings,inconsistent definitions and lack of validated tool utilisation.While swallowing and feeding difficulties are particularly frequent in younger children,their relationship with growth remains unclear.It is possible that these morbidities impact on the diet of children with OA,but detailed analysis of dietary composition and quality,and its relationship with these complications and growth,has not yet been conducted.Another potential area of research in OA is the role of the microbiota in growth and nutrition.While the microbiota has been linked to growth impairment in other paediatric conditions,it is yet to be investigated in OA.Further research is needed to identify the most important contributory factors to poor growth,the role of the intestinal microbiota,and effective interventions to maximise growth and nutritional outcomes in this cohort.

Refractory very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease associated with cytosolic isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase deficiency:A case report

BACKGROUND Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases/ligases(ARSs)are highly conserved enzymes involved in attaching amino acids to tRNA promoting protein synthesis.Although deficiencies of ARSs localized to the mitochondria classically present with neuropathology,the clinical features of cytosolic ARS deficiencies are more variable.They have previously been associated with neonatal hepatitis,but never with early-onset inflammatory bowel disease.CASE SUMMARY A nine-year-old Bangladeshi boy presented with neonatal liver failure and deranged clotting,transaminitis and cholestasis.His parents were first cousins.Two older brothers and a sister were well.The patient suffered from loose stools from early infancy which became more troublesome and persistent from five years old with ten bloody motions a day.Repeated endoscopies showed persistent pancolitis,which was refractory to mesalazine,corticosteroids,azathioprine,sirolimus and anti-TNF(adalimumab)therapy,but has improved recently with subcutaneous methotrexate.Whole Genome Sequencing revealed a novel pathogenic missense variant(c.290A>G)in the cytosolic isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase gene,leading to an amino acid substitution(p.Asp97Gly).Pathogenic variants in other genes associated with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)(ADAM17,EGFR,FOXP3,IL10RA,IL10RB,IL21R,NCF4,STAT3)were excluded.Cytokine assays demonstrated markedly elevated IL-2,IL-5,IL-13,IL-9 and IL-10 by the patient’s CD4+T-cells,while IL-17A,IL-17F,IFNβwere lower,and TNFαnot significantly different when compared to healthy controls.CONCLUSION This case report provides evidence that recessive mutations in cytosolic isoleucyltRNA synthetase are a novel monogenic cause of IBD,which should be considered,particularly in infants and children with a history of neonatal hepatitis and very early-onset IBD poorly responsive to treatment.

Delayed Gastric Emptying in Anorexic Adolescents Measured with the ¹³C Octanoic Acid Breath Test

Many gastrointestinal complaints and motility disorders are described in patients suffering from different eating disorders. These have a negative impact on refeeding. This report evaluated–on admission-gastric emptying of a standardized solid meal with 13C octanoic acid breath test in anorexic adolescents. The results were compared with age and gender matched controls. Gastric emptying data were related to a subjective symptom score. 21 Anorexic girls and 3 boys (mean age: 15.6 y ± 1.3 y), body mass index (mean 15.6 kg/m2 ± 1.6 kg/m2), weight loss (mean: 22.2% ± 10.7%) were studied. T? of the gastric emptying time exceeded the P95 in 14/24 (58%) patients, classified as having delayed gastric emptying (DGE). One patient (4%) had a T? exceeding P75 and was classified as slow (SGE), whereas 9/24 (38%) patients had normal gastric emptying (NGE). In comparison to NGE, subjects with DGE had significantly higher symptom scores (p = 0.01) and more weight loss. The DGE and SGE patients lost 25.29% and 21.38% of weight respectively, whereas a weight loss of 17.64% was found in anorexics with NGE. In conclusion, gastric emptying is delayed in patients with anorexia. This is associated with more significant gastrointestinal symptoms and higher weight loss.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease in children: What’s new right now?

Gastroesophageal reflux(GER)in children is very common and refers to the involuntary passage of gastric contents into the esophagus.This is often physiological and managed conservatively.In contrast,GER disease(GERD)is a less common pathologic process causing troublesome symptoms,which may need medical management.Apart from abnormal transient relaxations of the lower esophageal sphincter,other factors that play a role in the pathogenesis of GERD include defects in esophageal mucosal defense,impaired esophageal and gastric motility and clearance,as well as anatomical defects of the lower esophageal reflux barrier such as hiatal hernia.The clinical manifestations of GERD in young children are varied and nonspecific prompting the necessity for careful diagnostic evaluation.Management should be targeted to the underlying aetiopathogenesis and to limit complications of GERD.The following review focuses on up-to-date information regarding of the pathogenesis,diagnostic evaluation and management of GERD in children.

Functional constipation in Bangladeshi school aged children:A hidden misty at community

BACKGROUND Constipation is a common problem in children and a frequent cause of hospital visit in both primary&specialized care,which needs proper evaluation&management.Presentation of constipation is variable among children.In Bangladesh there has been no published data regarding constipation in community among school aged children.AIM To determine the magnitude of functional constipation and its risk factors in community among Bangladeshi school children.METHODS This descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in different schools of Dhaka division,Bangladesh.All school aged children between 5-16 years of age who attended school were included in this study.Samples were collected randomly.Proper clinical history&physical examinations(without digital rectal examination)&available investigations(if done previously)were recorded.Diagnosis of functional constipation was done by Rome IV criteria and was compared with children without constipation.Children with any red flag sign,known chronic disease or any findings suggestive of organic disease and on treatment of constipation were excluded.Statistical analysis of the results was done by using Windows based software device with Statistical Packages for Social Science 20.For all statistical tests,P value of less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.RESULTS Total study populations were 707 and male was 443 and female 264.Among them,134(19%)children had constipation.In constipated children,78 children fulfilled the Rome IV criteria for functional constipation and it was 11%of total population.Mean age of children having functional constipation was 11.24±3.54 years and Male female ratio was 1:1.78.Anorexia,nausea,abdominal pain,hard stool,blood with hard stool,alternate hard and loose stool and fecal mass in left iliac fossa were analyzed between two group and all were significantly higher in children with functional constipation group.Children of school,where toilet numbers were inadequate had 2.5 times more constipation risk in comparison to children of school with adequate toilet number(OR=2.493,95%CI:1.214-5.120).Children who feel embarrassed to use toilet at school,had 3.6 times higher risk of constipation(OR=3.552,95%CI:1.435-8.794).Here children with H/O affected sibs and parents/grandparents had 4 and 2.6 times more chance of constipation respectively in comparison to children without H/O affected sibs(OR=3.977,95%CI:1.884–8.397)and parents/grandparents(OR=2.569,95%CI:1.172-5.629).Children with inadequate fluid intake had 2 times more risk of constipation in comparison to children with adequate fluid intake(OR=1.972,95%CI:1.135-3.426).Children who passed electronic screen time of>2 h/d had 2 times more chance of constipation in comparison to children who passed electronic screen time<2 h(OR=2.138,95%CI:1.063-4.301).CONCLUSION Constipation is not uncommon in Bangladeshi school aged children.Inadequate toilet number,family history of constipation,inadequate fluid intake,feeling embarrassed to use toilet at school,and electronic screen time for>2 h/d were found as risk factors in the present study for functional constipation.

Efficacy,effectiveness,immunogenicity- are not the same in vaccinology

Manuscript of Carrera et al is devoted to immunization in inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)that is very important issue in gastroenterology.However,some specific definitions used in the article need clarification.Efficacy of vaccine is measured in a randomised,placebo-controlled studies,that are expensive and difficult to plan.Moreover,it is unethical to offer a placebo instead of vaccine.For all of these reasons,efficacy of vaccine is measured in IBD patients rarely.Effectiveness of vaccine is measured as an epidemiological affect from observational studies.These studies are also uncommon in IBD because it would be difficult to perform a study that assess the prevalence of one rare disease(vaccine-preventable)in patients with a chronic rare condition,such as IBD.Immunogenicity of vaccine refers to the ability of a vaccine to induce an immune response in a vaccinated individual that is,in fact,the matter of the article.