Gastroenterology Committee

General Information

The Gastroenterology Committee was established in 2004 and is a standing committee of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN).

The work of the Committee aims at promoting gastrointestinal health and well-being in children by:
a. working with expert working groups and special interest groups covering specific areas in Paediatric Gastroenterology (and where it relates to Hepatology and Nutrition)
b. writing and publishing authoritative commentaries of clinical and scientific relevance on pertinent questions in the area of Paediatric Gastroenterology (and where it relates to Hepatology and Nutrition)
c. providing advice on matters related to Paediatric Gastroenterology (and where it relates to Hepatology and Nutrition) to ESPGHAN and other scientific societies, regulatory bodies, non-governmental organisations, industry and other interested parties
d. contributing to the exchange of scientific information, and to promote high quality research and training in Paediatric Gastroenterology (and where it relates to Hepatology and Nutrition), by organising workshops and scientific meetings, training courses, and other suitable approaches
e. providing guidance on teaching in Paediatric Gastroenterology (and where it relates to Hepatology and Nutrition), on the organisation of practice in care and education, practical approaches to diagnosis and treatment and other questions of relevance.

The strength and authority of the Gastroenterology Committee depends on its unbiased and independent decision making. The comments and actions of the Committee are led only by scientific arguments and by its best understanding of the interests of children.
The Committee is part os ESPGHAN and is answerable to the Council of ESPGHAN with regard to its membership, publications and other activities. The rules and standing orders of ESPGHAN, and its council, supersede anything which the Committee might wish to impose. The Committee aims at close interaction with the other activities, the other Committees (Hepatology and Nutrition), the Council, and the membership of ESPGHAN. The activities of the Committee are reported annually to the ESPGHAN Council and to the ESPGHAN Members.

To download the annual committee report please click here.

GI Working Groups & Special Interest Groups

Neurogastroenterology, Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

Steering Committee
Sylvia Salvatore - Chair
Yvan Vandenplas
Marc Benninga

Description: The main purpose of the ESPGHAN Motility Working Group is to promote research activities and networking in the field of GI motility amongst ESPGHAN members. The annual meetings and workshops give to the active members the opportunity to share novel data and propose collaborative research protocols.

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Working Group, you can download their annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Working Group, please click here.

Paediatric IBD Porto & Interest Group

Steering Committee
Richard Russel - Chair
Javier Martín de Carpi - Membership & Education
Eytan Wine - Financial Liaison

Description: The ESPGHAN Paediatric IBD Porto Group is a group of paediatric IBD experts from ESPGHAN whose goals are to generate collaborative international research and to provide a leadership role with regards to the current diagnosis and management of IBD in children.
The aims of the group are:
a. Research: To facilitate, and perform collaborative research of all types as agreed within the group, including ongoing registries
b. Guidelines: To develop management guidelines and statements on behalf of ESPGHAN regarding paediatric IBD
c. Advocacy: To provide experts' opinion and advocate on behalf of paediatric IBD patients when needed
d. Education: To improve medical care for children with IBD worldwide, by promoting good clinical practice via various educational tools, lectures and publications

This research collaboration in combination with provision of leadership in international guidelines and other activities requires intense commitment and hard work with restricted timelines. This necessitates opening the group to new collaborators with required expertise, while defining a mechanism to exclude members that are not capable of fulfilling these obligations to ensure keeping the group dynamic and productive.

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Special Interest Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Special Interest Group, please click here.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Steering Committee
Alexandra Papadopoulou - Chair
Simon Murch
Sonny Chong

Description:

Projects & Activities: to view allr ecent and upcoming activities of this Working Group, you can dowload the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Working Group, please click here.

Helicobacter Pylori Infection

Executive Committee:
Patrick Bontems - Chair
Nicholas Kalach - Executive Committee
Matjaz Homan - Executive Committee
Michal Kori - Executive Committee

Despcription: The Helicobacter pylori Infection WG was founded 1997 by the members of the European Study Group on Helicobacter pylori (ESHP) Francis Mégraud (microbiologist), Colm O’Morain (adult gastroenterologist) and Samy Cadranel (paediatric gastroenterologist) as “paediatric task force on H. pylori infection”. The group meets annually for a 1,5 days meeting before the European Congress on Helicobacter pylori. In 2007 the group members voted to become officially a WG of ESPGHAN.

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Special Interest Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR for this Special Interest Group, please click here.

Cystic Fibrosis and Pancreatic Disease

Steering Committee:
Frank Boudewes - Chair
Isabelle Scheers - Secretary
Number of Members: 50

Description: The goals of the group are to generate collaborative international research, management guidelines and consensus statements in cystic fibrosis and exocrine pancreatic disease in children. 

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Working Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Working Group, please click here.

 

Esophageal Atresia

Steering Committee
Frederic Gottrand - Chair
Luigi Dall'Oglio - Co-Chair
Usha Khrishan - Secretary

Description: Esophageal atresia (EA) is the most frequent digestive malformation occurring in ~1:3,000 births worldwide. Since the first successful primary repair in 1941, postoperative outcomes have changed.
With the exception of patients suffering from severe associated malformations, improvements in operative and perioperative care issues evolved from mortality to morbidity and quality of life issues. Esophageal atresia is no more a neonatal surgical problem but a long life problem. Indeed, respiratory problems, nutritional and gastroenterological issues are the most prevalent not only in the first years of life but also in adolescence and adulthood.
There is a lack of recommendation and research in this moving area and multicentric collaborations are needed to answer many nowadays unanswered questions.

Projects & Activites: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Special Interest Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Special Interest Group, please click here.

Epigenetics: Epigenetics in Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology And Nutrition (EPaedGHAN)

Steering Committee:
Andreas Jenke - Chair

Description: The aims of the working group are to a) promote collaborative scientific research in the epigenetics of GI health and disease amongst ESPGHAN members b) share scientific expertise and novel data within a working group, by establishing joint research protocols, collaborative workshops, educational meetings and exchange programs c) establish a key group of individuals with sufficient expertise and interest within ESPGHAN to study epigenetics in paediatric GI disease

Background: Evidence is rapidly accumulating that epigenetic mechanism(s), e.g. DNA methylation, histone modifications and expression of non-coding RNAs, may play a major role in disease pathogenesis of complex diseases such as allergies, neurological disorders (e.g. schizophrenia) and autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases. This is paralleled by substantial progress in understanding the epigenetic mechanisms through which environmental triggers (e.g. diet, exposure to toxins) can alter gene expression during pregnancy and in early childhood. Such mechanisms may ultimately contribute to the observed rise in many complex diseases. It is becoming increasingly clear that research in the paediatric patient population could provide a unique and highly significant contribution in advancing knowledge in this field. Only recently are available methodologies beginning to allow researchers to investigate the potential impact of epigenetic mechanisms in complex diseases.
These methods are partly being adapted from those used for genetic studies (e.g. next generation sequencing, bead arrays etc). However, in contrast to genetic studies, epigenetic investigations differ substantially in their requirements and demand highly complex data analysis. Specifically, as epigenetic signatures are less stable than DNA sequence and are highly tissue and cell type specific, sample collection is more complex and requires appropriate expertise on site. Samples need to be processed immediately including cell separation and in some instances chromatin extraction. Hence, appropriate local scientific expertise is required and must be transferred from a core facility to the place of sample collection or collaborating units. The lack of local expertise currently limits multi centre studies for larger sample collection.

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Working Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Working Group, please click here.

Paediatric Polyposis

Steering Committee
Shlomi Cohen - Chair
Warren Hyer: Co-Chair

Description: The ESPGHAN polyposis working group have completed the task commissioned by ESPGHAN in 2016 to develop guidelines / position statement on paediatric polyposis syndrome.

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Working Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Working Group, please click here.

Special Interest Group: Endoscopy

Steering Committee:
Chair: Mike Thomson
Secretary: Matjaž Homan
Budget: Yvan Vandenplas
ELZ Coordinator: Raoul Furlano
Guideline Coordinator: Patrick Bontems:
Courses coordinator: Jorge Amil Dias
National Society Liaison
Officer: Richard Hansen
ESGE Liaison Officer: Salvatore Oliva Training
Education Rep: Priya Narula
Research: Matjaž Homan

Description:

Projects & Activities: to view all recent activities of this Special Interest, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Special Interest Group, please click here.

Special Interest Group: Coeliac Disease

Steering Committee:
Carmen Ribes - Chair
Luisa Mearin - Secretary
Steffen Husby - Treasurer
Number of Members:

Description:

Projects & Activities: to view all recent and upcoming activities of this Special Interest Group, you can download the annual report here.

Terms of Reference: to view the ToR of this Special Interest Group, please click here.