Open AccessSafety and Ethics in Endoscopic Studies in Children: Evidence From the BEECH Study in Zambia
Author(s) -
Kanta Chandwe,
Beatrice Amadi,
Miyoba Chipunza,
Masuzyo Zyambo,
Paul Kelly
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of tropical pediatrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.464
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1465-3664
pISSN - 0142-6338
DOI - 10.1093/tropej/fmaa074
Subject(s) - medicine , endoscopy , malabsorption , biopsy , sedation , pediatrics , surgery , pathology
Environmental enteropathy is an example of a poorly-understood intestinal disorder affecting millions of children worldwide, characterized by malabsorption and stunting. Although there is increasing interest in non-invasive means of assessing intestinal structure and function, the potential value of intestinal biopsy for histology, immunostaining, RNA sequencing and epigenetic work means that endoscopic biopsy remains extremely valuable. We here report our experience in the BEECH (Biomarkers of Environmental Enteropathy in CHildren) study of stunting in Zambia, in the belief that it may help address the knowledge gap regarding the safety of endoscopic biopsy in vulnerable young children.