Bioelectrical impedance measures in children with Crohn's disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Children with Crohn’s disease: Measuring Anthropometry and Bioelectrical impedance at routine clinical appointments (CRAB study)
IRAS ID
249868
Contact name
R Mark Beattie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The Paediatric Gastroenterology Department at Southampton in collaboration with the Dietetic department are doing this study to better understand if children with Crohn’s disease have persistent growth and body composition problems. This will be done by using a small machine is able to measure changes in cell function and routine height and weight measurements.
Children with Crohn’s disease have historically often had poor growth and weight loss. We are looking at whether these growth problems still exist with the new treatments offered, and whether the body composition of these children (fat, lean tissue) and cell health is different to children without Crohn’s disease. We are aiming to recruit children at routine appointments (clinic, infusions, endoscopy etc.), when they are well or when they are unwell.
We want to use a machine which passes a tiny electrical current through the body, (this cannot be felt) to measure cell function (resistance). We want to try and understand whether this would be a useful bedside tool to determine changes in cell function, perhaps signalling the need to increase or decrease nutrition support. This method is called bioelectrical impedance (BI) and has been used in children for over 30 years, but has not been well studied in this patient group. We want to understand whether measuring BI in children with Crohn’s disease can guide improved nutritional care and reduce the risk of over or under feeding these patients.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1457
Date of REC Opinion
4 Sep 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion