Hirschprung's Disease clinical trials

Evaluating the Alimentary and Respiratory Tracts in Health and Disease (EARTH) Research Program.

The investigators have established the "Evaluating the Alimentary and Respiratory Tracts in Health and disease" (EARTH) research program. It provides a structured approach to analysing gastrointestinal and respiratory microbiomes, along with diet and symptomatology, in children with a gastrointestinal and/or respiratory condition with recognised long-term morbidity (e.g. cystic fibrosis, obstructive sleep apnoea, or Hirschsprung's disease). The EARTH program consists of a series of prospective, longitudinal, controlled, observational studies, with each individual study comparing children with a chronic gastrointestinal and/or respiratory condition to healthy controls (HC). It will be conducted in an Australian tertiary paediatric hospital (although the methodology is applicable to other settings). Children with a chronic gastrointestinal and/or respiratory condition will be compared to age and gender matched HC across a 12-month period. The following will be collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months: (i) a stool sample, (ii) an oropharyngeal swab or sputum sample, (iii) a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, (iv) details of disease symptomatology, (v) health-related quality of life, and (vi) psychosocial factors. Data on the intestinal and respiratory microbiomes and diet will be compared between children with a condition and HC. Correlations between dietary intake (energy, macro- and micro-nutrients), intestinal and respiratory microbiomes within each group will be explored. Data on disease symptomatology, quality of life and psychosocial factors will also be compared between children with a condition and HC. The investigators hypothesise that: (i) Children with chronic gastrointestinal and/or respiratory conditions will have altered intestinal and respiratory microbiomes compared to healthy children, and (ii) Diet plays a key role in influencing the intestinal and respiratory microbiomes and this may impact on clinical outcomes, biomarkers of disease, and health-related quality of life.