Defining Normal Ultrasound-measured Bowel Wall Thickness in Children

Summary

Help our research team learn more about intestinal ultrasound measurements in children!

The bowel (or intestine) is like a long tube with many layers. We are measuring the thickness of the layers that make up the bowel wall in children using ultrasound. We know what measurements are normal vs abnormal in adults, but we need more data in children, especially because they are smaller in size. This will help us understand how these measurements can change when the bowel is inflamed.

Participation in this study includes a brief screening phone call and an in-person study visit at the Alberta Children's Hospital for an intestinal ultrasound (about 45 minutes). The ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the bowel. It does not include any pokes or radiation and it does not hurt. With your child lying down, we use ultrasound jelly with a wand (probe) to press over the abdomen. We will take a series of measurements of the bowel wall thickness in various sections of the bowel. There is a brief participant survey after the ultrasound as well.