Wireless capsule endoscopy safe in kids

PARMA, Italy, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A wireless capsule endoscopy is a useful and safe technique to study the small bowel in children, found a study by the University of Parma in Italy

The study, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, confirms that the technology, often used in adults, is a very useful system for the clinical work in suspected small-bowel diseases in infancy.

Study author Gian Luigi de’ Angelis said he is hopeful about the technology, but encourages caution in pediatric use because the high rate of positive examination in his findings is due to the very careful selection of the patients.

The camera, encased in a capsule that can be swallowed or placed into the stomach, travels through the digestive system painlessly, reducing the need for invasive tests, anesthesia or radiation related to more traditional scanning techniques, explained de' Angelis.