Despite these encouraging findings, given the differences in IBD between adults and children and that gut microbiota changes with age, it cannot be assumed that diagnostic tests that are effective in adults will necessarily work in children. Therefore, this technology needs to be tested in children. In a proof of principle study, faecal VOCs differentiated children with IBD from healthy children both during active disease and remission. However, investigators are not aware of any previous studies in children that have evaluated the utility of faecal VOCs in differentiating IBD from other common gastrointestinal disorders in an out-patient setting or in monitoring response to treatment.