Ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation in children with intestinal failure in New Zealand: Disparities in incidence, but not in outcomes.

AIMS: The New Zealand National Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Service (NZ-NIFRS) was established in October 2015 to gather longitudinal data on the aetiology, clinical course and outcomes of children with intestinal failure (IF). One main objective is to achieve health equity for patients with IF in NZ. METHODS: Clinical outcomes (enteral autonomy, parenteral nutrition (PN) dependence, death or intestinal transplantation) for IF patients diagnosed from October 2015 to 2018 were analysed; comparisons were made by ethnicity and socio-economic status (SES) using published 'prioritised-ethnicity' health data and the NZ index of deprivation, respectively. The Cox proportional-hazards model was used to assess time to enteral autonomy. RESULTS: Of the 208 patients (55.77% male, 43.75% preterm), 170 (81.73%) achieved enteral autonomy and 14 (6.73%) remained PN dependent. Pacific and Maori children accounted for 12.98% and 27.88% of the patient cohort, respectively, compared to 9.46% and 25.65% of the NZ paediatric population. More significantly, IF patients with a high NZ socio-economic deprivation score were overrepresented, with 35.92% in the highest deprivation quintile and 10.19% in the least deprived quintile, compared to 23.53% and 20.31%, respectively, of the NZ paediatric population. There were no significant differences in primary clinical outcomes for any patients based on ethnicity or SES. CONCLUSION: While disparities in ethnicity and social deprivation do exist in the incidence of IF in NZ children, clinical outcomes are similar for children regardless of ethnicity or SES. NZ-NIFRS has achieved one of its core objectives: to achieve health equity for all patients with IF nationwide.

Navigating the Healthcare Conundrum: Leadership Perspective from a Premier Healthcare Organization in Loma Linda's Blue Zone.

Navigating the healthcare conundrum in the Blue Zone of Loma Linda, California, requires understanding the unique factors that make this region stand out in terms of health and longevity. But more important is understanding the healthcare system sustaining the Blue Zone in Loma Linda, California. In an era marked by soaring healthcare costs and diminishing reimbursement rates, hospitals and physicians face an unprecedented challenge: providing excellent patient care while maintaining financial sustainability. This leadership perspective publication paper delves into the multifaceted struggles encountered by healthcare and hospital leaders, exploring the root causes, implications, and potential solutions for this complex issue. As we examine the evolving healthcare landscape, we aim to shed light on the critical need for innovative approaches to sustain the future of healthcare excellence in one of the five original Blue Zones.

Small and large bowel anatomy is associated with enteral autonomy in infants with short bowel syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Achievement of enteral autonomy (EA) is the ultimate treatment goal in pediatric intestinal failure (IF). We aimed to assess predictors of EA in pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) and explore the impact of residual small bowel (SB) and large bowel (LB) length on EA. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on infants aged <12 months (n = 367, six centers) with SBS referred between 2010 and 2015. The cohort was stratified based on the achievement of EA. Statistical testing was completed using t-test, chi-square, Cox proportional hazards regression model, and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: EA was achieved in 229 patients. In the multivariable analysis, the percentage of residual LB (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01-1.02) and SB (HR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.01-1.02) length, presence of the ileocecal valve (HR = 2.02; 95% CI=1.41-2.88), and not coming from a high-volume transplantation center (HR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.68-3.49) were positively associated with EA, whereas a negative association was seen with the presence of stoma at the time when shortest remnant was documented (HR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.52-1.00). EA achievement was significantly different between the anatomical subgroups (log-rank test P < 0.001) with an EA rate of 80.4% in infants with ≥50% SB and LB (median time 209 days); 62.5% with ≥50% SB and <50% LB (397 days); 58.3% with <50% SB and ≥50% LB (1192 days), and 25.9% with <50% SB and LB. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was not associated with a better achievement of EA (NEC vs other etiologies: log-rank test P = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, 62% of infants with IF secondary to SBS achieved EA over a mean time of follow-up of 2.3 years. A colon length of >50% can compensate for the loss of small bowel (<50%) and account for similar EA rates as those in children with residual SB > 50%.

Event-free survival of maralixibat-treated patients with Alagille syndrome compared to a real-world cohort from GALA.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is characterized by chronic cholestasis with associated pruritus and extrahepatic anomalies. Maralixibat, an ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor, is an approved pharmacologic therapy for cholestatic pruritus in ALGS. Since long-term placebo-controlled studies are not feasible or ethical in children with rare diseases, a novel approach was taken comparing 6-year outcomes from maralixibat trials with an aligned and harmonized natural history cohort from the G lobal AL agille A lliance (GALA) study. APPROACH AND RESULTS: Maralixibat trials comprise 84 patients with ALGS with up to 6 years of treatment. GALA contains retrospective data from 1438 participants. GALA was filtered to align with key maralixibat eligibility criteria, yielding 469 participants. Serum bile acids could not be included in the GALA filtering criteria as these are not routinely performed in clinical practice. Index time was determined through maximum likelihood estimation in an effort to align the disease severity between the two cohorts with the initiation of maralixibat. Event-free survival, defined as the time to first event of manifestations of portal hypertension (variceal bleeding, ascites requiring therapy), surgical biliary diversion, liver transplant, or death, was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards methods. Sensitivity analyses and adjustments for covariates were applied. Age, total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase, and alanine aminotransferase were balanced between groups with no statistical differences. Event-free survival in the maralixibat cohort was significantly better than the GALA cohort (HR, 0.305; 95% CI, 0.189-0.491; p <0.0001). Multiple sensitivity and subgroup analyses (including serum bile acid availability) showed similar findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a novel application of a robust statistical method to evaluate outcomes in long-term intervention studies where placebo comparisons are not feasible, providing wide application for rare diseases. This comparison with real-world natural history data suggests that maralixibat improves event-free survival in patients with ALGS.

Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia in Australia and New Zealand.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) causes severe cardiovascular disease from childhood. Conventional drug therapy is usually ineffective; lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is often required. Liver transplantation (LT) can correct the metabolic defect but is considered a treatment of last resort. Newer drugs including lomitapide and evinacumab might reduce the need for apheresis and LT. We sought to determine the long-term outcomes following LT in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: We analysed demographic, biochemical and clinical data from all patients in Australia and New Zealand who have received LT for homozygous FH, identified from the Australia and New Zealand Liver and Intestinal Transplant Registry. RESULTS: Nine patients (five female; one deceased; seven aged between 3 and 6 years at the time of LT and two aged 22 and 26 years) were identified. Mean follow-up was 14.1 years (range 4-27). Baseline LDL-cholesterol off all treatment was 23 ± 4.1 mmol/L. Mean LDL-cholesterol on medical therapy (including maximal statin therapy in all patients, ezetimibe in three and LA in five) was 11 ± 5.7 mmol/L (p < 0.001). After LT, mean LDL-cholesterol was 2.6 ± 0.9 mmol/L (p = 0.004) with three patients remaining on statin therapy and none on LA. One patient died from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) three years after LT. Two patients required aortic valve replacement, more than 10 years after LT. The remaining six patients were asymptomatic after eight to 21 years of follow-up. No significant adverse events associated with immunosuppression were reported. CONCLUSIONS: LT for homozygous FH was highly effective in achieving substantial long-term reduction in LDL-cholesterol concentrations in all nine patients. LT remains an option for severe cases of homozygous FH where drug therapy combined with apheresis is ineffective or unfeasible.

Long-term Outcome of Asymptomatic Patients With Graft Fibrosis in Protocol Biopsies After Pediatric Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The histological prevalence of allograft fibrosis in asymptomatic children after liver transplantation (LT) is well documented. However, long-term graft and patient survival remain unclear. This retrospective multicenter study aims to determine the prevalence of allograft fibrosis and analyze the long-term outcome for patients transplanted in childhood. METHODS: We reviewed clinical data of children who had undergone 10-y protocol liver biopsies. We excluded patients with autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, hepatitis B or C, and retransplantation. In total, 494 patients transplanted in childhood across 12 international transplant centers were included. We evaluated the development of fibrosis by comparing the results with biopsies obtained 5 and 15 y post-LT. Histological findings were correlated with graft and patient survival up to 20 y post-LT. RESULTS: In the 10-y biopsies, periportal or pericentral fibrosis was observed in 253 patients (51%), 87 (18%) had bridging fibrosis, 30 (6%) had cirrhosis, and 124 (25%) had no fibrosis. The prevalence and stage of graft fibrosis significantly progressed from 5 to 10 y. At 10 y, the severity of fibrosis correlated significantly with inflammation. Patients with graft cirrhosis in the 10-y biopsy were more likely to die or require retransplantation subsequently ( P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: At 10 y post-LT, most patients transplanted in childhood developed fibrosis, based on the protocol liver biopsies. Although mild-to-moderate graft fibrosis did not largely affect patient or graft survival up to 20 y post-LT, this progressive fibrosis finding has substantial implications for developing cirrhosis and portal hypertension in adult care.

Rising Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South Asian Children in New Zealand-A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVES: High rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are reported in children of South Asian (SA) descent in some western countries. This population-based study describes the incidence and clinical course of IBD in SA children compared to non-South Asian (NSA) children in New Zealand (NZ). METHODS: Children (≤15 years) with new-onset IBD presenting to a centralized tertiary referral center in Auckland, NZ from 2010 to 2020 were identified. Disease phenotype, clinical characteristics, response to exclusive enteral nutrition, clinical remission rates at 3 and 12 months, biologic use, corticosteroid exposure, and disease complications were compared by ethnicity; IBD incidence was calculated. RESULTS: There were 127 (26 SA; 101 NSA) children with Crohn disease, 41 (10 SA; 31 NSA) with ulcerative colitis, and 10 (3 SA; 7 NSA) with IBD-unclassified. IBD incidence in SA and NSA children was 14.1 per 100,000 and 4.3 per 100,000 respectively ( P < 0.001). IBD incidence increased by 5.6% per year ( P = 0.022), due to a greater rise in incidence in SA (SA 16.8% per year, P = 0.015; NSA 4.5% per year, P = 0.317). At presentation, SA children had worse biochemical parameters, severe colitis, and vitamin D deficiency. SA children had lower rates of remission following exclusive enteral nutrition (28.5% vs 65.0%, P < 0.001) or biologic induction (35.7% vs 70.8%, P = 0.020), at 3-month (35.3% vs 69.8%, P < 0.001) and 12-month follow-up (29.4% vs 55.0%, P = 0.005). No significant differences were found in disease location or corticosteroid burden. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing incidence of IBD was disproportionately represented by SA children with more severe disease and lower remission rates following exclusive enteral nutrition or biologic therapy.

Atopy and allergy following solid organ transplantation: A 15-year experience.

AIM: There are increasing reports of atopy/allergy following solid organ transplantation, especially paediatric liver transplantation (LT) with minimal New Zealand (NZ) data. We describe the prevalence of transplant-acquired atopy and allergy (TAA) in NZ paediatric liver transplant recipients, compared to paediatric kidney and adult liver transplants. METHODS: TAA focussed health questionnaires were sent to patients selected from the NZ transplant registry (transplanted between January 2003 and December 2017). Demographic and clinical data were also obtained from electronic health records and follow-up phone calls. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients (62% male) participated (111 adult liver, 82 paediatric liver, 39 paediatric kidney transplant recipients). Tacrolimus was primary immunosuppression for all LT patients; with combined tacrolimus, mycophenolate and corticosteroids for kidney transplants. The number of patients who developed TAA was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in the paediatric LT group (36/82, 44%) compared to adult liver (12/111, 11%) and paediatric kidney transplants (4/39, 10%). Eczema was most common (73%), then IgE-mediated food allergy (FA, 33%), allergic rhinitis (19%) and asthma (17%). Six paediatric LT recipients developed eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). Egg was the most common allergen in the IgE-mediated FA group. TAAs were severe enough to warrant a switch from tacrolimus to another agent in seven paediatric LT patients. For paediatric LT patients, female gender and younger age at transplant were risk factors for developing TAA. CONCLUSIONS: TAA is common in paediatric liver transplant recipients, with female gender and younger age at transplant being risk factors identified. This highlights the need for detailed atopic and allergy history to be incorporated in all pre-transplant assessments.

Natural history of liver disease in a large international cohort of children with Alagille syndrome: Results from the GALA study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a multisystem disorder, characterized by cholestasis. Existing outcome data are largely derived from tertiary centers, and real-world data are lacking. This study aimed to elucidate the natural history of liver disease in a contemporary, international cohort of children with ALGS. APPROACH AND RESULTS: This was a multicenter retrospective study of children with a clinically and/or genetically confirmed ALGS diagnosis, born between January 1997 and August 2019. Native liver survival (NLS) and event-free survival rates were assessed. Cox models were constructed to identify early biochemical predictors of clinically evident portal hypertension (CEPH) and NLS. In total, 1433 children (57% male) from 67 centers in 29 countries were included. The 10 and 18-year NLS rates were 54.4% and 40.3%. By 10 and 18 years, 51.5% and 66.0% of children with ALGS experienced ≥1 adverse liver-related event (CEPH, transplant, or death). Children (>6 and ≤12 months) with median total bilirubin (TB) levels between ≥5.0 and <10.0 mg/dl had a 4.1-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-10.8), and those ≥10.0 mg/dl had an 8.0-fold (95% CI, 3.4-18.4) increased risk of developing CEPH compared with those <5.0 mg/dl. Median TB levels between ≥5.0 and <10.0 mg/dl and >10.0 mg/dl were associated with a 4.8 (95% CI, 2.4-9.7) and 15.6 (95% CI, 8.7-28.2) increased risk of transplantation relative to <5.0 mg/dl. Median TB <5.0 mg/dl were associated with higher NLS rates relative to ≥5.0 mg/dl, with 79% reaching adulthood with native liver ( p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this large international cohort of ALGS, only 40.3% of children reach adulthood with their native liver. A TB <5.0 mg/dl between 6 and 12 months of age is associated with better hepatic outcomes. These thresholds provide clinicians with an objective tool to assist with clinical decision-making and in the evaluation of therapies.

Australasian paediatric gastroenterologist practices of coeliac disease diagnosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To explore the perceptions and practices of Australasian paediatric gastroenterologists in diagnosing coeliac disease (CD) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Paediatric gastroenterologists in Australasia were invited via email to complete an anonymous online questionnaire over a 2-week period in 2021. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 39 respondents: 33 from Australia and six from New Zealand (NZ) equating to a 66% response rate. Thirty-four (87%) of the 39 respondents reported they currently practised non-biopsy diagnosis of CD in eligible children, while the rest diagnosed CD using biopsy confirmation only. All NZ respondents practised non-biopsy CD diagnosis. A majority of responders (76%) who practised non-biopsy CD diagnosis followed the 2020 European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guidelines. Twenty-two (56%) respondents reported that they started using a non-biopsy CD diagnosis protocol before the pandemic and did not change their practice during the pandemic, 10 (26%) started diagnosing non-biopsy CD during the pandemic, 5 (13%) stated their practices of CD were not impacted by the pandemic and 2 (5%) did not respond on whether the pandemic changed their practice. CONCLUSION: The majority of Australasian gastroenterologist respondents reported they routinely utilised the 2020 ESPGHAN diagnostic criteria in eligible children; half of them started prior to the pandemic and another quarter started this approach due to the pandemic. A minority of practitioners routinely rely only on biopsy confirmation to diagnose CD.

An international multicenter validation study of the Toronto listing criteria for pediatric intestinal transplantation.

Deciding which patients would benefit from intestinal transplantation (IT) remains an ethical/clinical dilemma. New criteria* were proposed in 2015: ≥2 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, loss of ≥3 central venous catheter (CVC) sites, and persistently elevated conjugated bilirubin (CB ≥ 75 µmol/L) despite 6 weeks of lipid modification strategies. We performed a retrospective, international, multicenter validation study of 443 children (61% male, median gestational age 34 weeks [IQR 29-37]), diagnosed with IF between 2010 and 2015. Primary outcome measure was death or IT. Sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV, and probability of death/transplant (OR, 95% confidence intervals) were calculated for each criterion. Median age at IF diagnosis was 0.1 years (IQR 0.03-0.14) with median follow-up of 3.8 years (IQR 2.3-5.3). Forty of 443 (9%) patients died, 53 of 443 (12%) were transplanted; 11 died posttransplant. The validated criteria had a high predictive value of death/IT; ≥2 ICU admissions (p < .0001, OR 10.2, 95% CI 4.0-25.6), persistent CB ≥ 75 µmol/L (p < .0001, OR 8.2, 95% CI 4.8-13.9). and loss of ≥3 CVC sites (p = .0003, OR 5.7, 95% CI 2.2-14.7). This large, multicenter, international study in a contemporary cohort confirms the validity of the Toronto criteria. These validated criteria should guide listing decisions in pediatric IT.

Adherence to the New Zealand Pediatric Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

New Zealand (NZ) guidelines for the approach to diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children were developed in 2014. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the application of the guidelines in a group of children diagnosed with IBD in regards to baseline investigations. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed the application of recommended baseline investigations included in the NZ guidelines in a group of children aged <16 years diagnosed consecutively with IBD at the 2 NZ tertiary pediatric gastroenterology centers. Results: Fifty children were included from each center. Seventy-two were diagnosed with Crohn's disease (CD), 15 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 13 were with IBD unclassified. The children with CD had a mean Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index score of 31 and almost half had ileocolonic involvement (47%). The 15 children with UC had a mean PUCAI score of 42, and 13 had pancolonic involvement. All 100 children underwent upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsies, and 92% had magnetic resonance enterography at diagnosis. Iron studies, folate, and vitamin B12 were measured in >70 children. Serum zinc, magnesium, and phosphate were infrequently measured. Current anthropometry was recorded in all children but historical growth data were variably recorded. Vaccination status was also inconsistently recorded. Conclusion: Most of this group of children diagnosed with IBD in 2 NZ centers underwent key recommended investigations at diagnosis including gastrointestinal endoscopy and small bowel imaging. Other baseline assessments, including measurement of micronutrient levels, were completed variably. Measures to enhance consistent baseline assessments are required.

An Atypical Case of Very Early-onset Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Associated With Focal Cortical Dysplasia.

We describe a female toddler with rectal bleeding from extensive colonic polyposis, and diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis. She has epilepsy from infancy attributed to focal cortical dysplasia. Hepatoblastoma was diagnosed at 13 months of age. Germline testing detected a pathogenic APC (adenomatous polyposis coli gene) variant. We discuss the anecdotal management of this case, including the clinical utility of genetic confirmation. We review the genotype-phenotype correlation of the APC mutational spectrum, and the existing evidence supporting the hypothesis that cortical dysplasia is part of the APC-related spectrum.

Trends in Pediatric Intestinal Failure: A Multicenter, Multinational Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the natural history and outcomes of children with intestinal failure in a large, multicenter, geographically diverse contemporary cohort (2010-2015) from 6 pediatric intestinal failure programs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter intestinal failure cohort (n = 443). Competing-risk analysis was used to obtain cumulative incidence rates for the primary outcome (enteral autonomy, transplantation, or death). The χ2 test and Cox proportional hazard regression were used for bivariate and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 443 patients (61.2% male). Primary etiologies included short bowel syndrome (SBS), 84.9%; dysmotility disorder, 7.2%; and mucosal enteropathy, 7.9%. Cumulative incidences for enteral autonomy, transplantation, and death at 6 years of follow-up were 53.0%, 16.7%, and 10.5%, respectively. Enteral autonomy was associated with SBS, ≥50% of small bowel length, presence of an ileocecal valve (ICV), absence of portal hypertension, and follow-up in a non-high-volume transplantation center. The composite outcome of transplantation/death was associated with persistent advanced cholestasis and hypoalbuminemia; age <1 year at diagnosis, ICV, and intact colon were protective. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of death and transplantation in children with intestinal failure have decreased; however, the number of children achieving enteral autonomy has not changed significantly, and a larger proportion of patients remain parenteral nutrition dependent. New strategies to achieve enteral autonomy are needed to improve patient outcomes.

Diagnostic utility of upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy for the diagnosis of acute graft-versus-host disease in children following stem cell transplantation: A 12-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopically obtained mucosal biopsies are the gold standard for diagnosing acute graft-versus-host disease of the gastrointestinal tract (GI-GVHD). There is no consensus on the ideal endoscopic approach in children. We aimed to ascertain which gastrointestinal sites and endoscopic approaches were most helpful for diagnosing acute GVHD and whether clinical symptoms can guide the endoscopic approach. METHOD: A single-center retrospective review of all pediatric stem cell transplants (SCT) between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018. Of those with histologically diagnosed GI-GVHD, sensitivities of individual GI sites for making the diagnosis were calculated. Clinical symptoms were compared with GI site yielding diagnosis. RESULTS: 216 allogeneic SCTs were performed in 199 patients. 37 of 52 suspected GI-GHVD cases underwent endoscopy. There was marked variability in the endoscopic approaches chosen. 82% of these cases had lower gastrointestinal symptoms. 21 cases had histologically proven GI-GVHD. 19 (90%) of these had GVHD of non-gastrointestinal sites; 10 (48%) had concurrent infections. The most-sensitive GI sites were the rectosigmoid and duodenum (86% and 76%, respectively). Overall sensitivity of upper GI endoscopy (UGIE) and lower GI endoscopy (LGIE) was 86% and 90%, respectively. There was no statistically significant association between clinical symptoms and site at which histological diagnosis was obtained. CONCLUSION: We observed variability in the endoscopic approach used by clinicians. UGIE and sigmoidoscopy had high sensitivities for diagnosing GVHD, regardless of symptoms. LGIE had minimal additional diagnostic value. This would support a standardized approach with UGIE and sigmoidoscopy for all children with suspected GI-GVHD.

Assessment of Disease-related Knowledge Among Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and their Family Using IBD-KID2: Evaluating Tool Generalizability.

Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and their families benefit from improved knowledge of their disease and treatment. Knowledge levels of individual family members are infrequently studied but may identify where education is best directed. We aimed to assess disease-specific knowledge among children with IBD, parents, and siblings, using a validated assessment tool (IBD-KID2), and to establish generalizability of IBD-KID2. Methods: Children with IBD and family members were recruited from tertiary IBD clinics in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. All participants completed IBD-KID2 online at baseline, and the children with IBD again after 2 weeks to assess reliability. Results: Participants included 130 children with IBD, 118 mothers, 55 fathers, and 37 siblings. Children with IBD had a mean score of 9.1 (SD 2.9) (maximum 15 points), significantly lower than parents (P < 0.005) and higher than siblings (P < 0.005). Scores of children with IBD were positively associated with current age (P < 0.005), age at diagnosis (P = 0.04) and fathers education level (P = 0.02). Significant score correlations were seen between children with IBD and their mother (P < 0.005) but not father. Sibling scores were not correlated with either parent. Test-retest reliability was high. The cohorts from each country were comparable, and no difference in group scores was seen between countries. Conclusion: IBD-KID2 is a generalizable and reliable tool for the assessment of disease and treatment knowledge for children with IBD and their families. Score correlations between parents and children with IBD suggest transfer of knowledge, but sibling knowledge is low and targeted education may be beneficial.

Paediatric eosinophilic oesophagitis in New Zealand: A 3-year prospective study.

AIM: Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) is a rare, chronic, relapsing immune/antigen-mediated disease characterised by symptoms of oesophageal dysfunction, with a paucity of data among New Zealand (NZ) children. This 3-year prospective study aimed to characterise EoE diagnosed nationally and to describe initial treatment strategies adopted. METHODS: Information on new diagnoses of paediatric EoE was obtained via the New Zealand Paediatric Surveillance Unit, through monthly questionnaires. RESULTS: From February 2014 to January 2017, 73 new cases (74% male) of EoE were reported, including 74% NZ European, 10% Asian, 7% Maori, 5% Middle-Eastern and 3% Pacific peoples. Median age of symptom onset was 4 years; dysphagia (48%) was the most common, followed by vomiting/regurgitation (40%), food impaction (19%) and epigastric pain (16%). A co-morbid history of other allergic conditions was present in 62% of patients, and 41% had a first degree relative with atopy. Seventy-nine percent of patients had abnormal endoscopic findings, most commonly linear furrows and white plaques; none had strictures. Median eosinophil count per high-powered field was 40 and 50 in the mid and distal oesophagus, respectively. Fifty-four percent of patients were initially managed with dietary manipulation alone (four required elemental feeds, five nasogastric tubes). Fifty-four percent of patients were treated with swallowed corticosteroids and 7% with prednisone. One patient was also treated with a leukotriene receptor antagonist. CONCLUSION: This first prospective study on paediatric patients with EoE in NZ finds similar demographics and disease characteristics as in other populations despite our unique ethnic population. Long-term prospective observational data should significantly improve our knowledge of this rare condition.