Treatment to prevent the narrowing of the oesophagus in a condition called oesophageal atresia (a disorder present at birth in which the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach, does not develop properly)

This study is looking for babies who were born with a specific type of oesophageal atresia (OA) where there's a connection between their food pipe and windpipe (called a distal-oesophageal fistula). They must have had surgery to fix this problem and join their food pipe properly.

Babies can join the study if they are under two weeks old and within the first three days after their surgery. We also need to be sure that the baby is expected to live beyond their first year, and that their parents or carers can understand and follow the study instructions – some help, like translation services, can be provided.

Babies cannot join if they have other serious health problems that would make taking part unsafe, or if they are already taking medicines that would interfere with the study. Also, if their OA didn't involve the specific connection mentioned above, or if they had other operations related to their OA before the main repair, they wouldn't be eligible.

If your baby takes part, they will be randomly chosen (like flipping a coin) to either receive the acid-reducing medicine or not. This is a common way to ensure the study is fair. You will be asked to give your baby the study medicine (or a dummy medicine, called a placebo) once a day for the first week, and then once a week after the first month. You'll record this in a special app.

To make it as easy as possible for you, we will only collect information during the regular check-up appointments your baby would have anyway after their surgery. You will also be asked to complete up to seven short online questionnaires at home, or on paper during clinic visits if you prefer. The study will follow your baby for about two years to see if they develop any narrowing of the food pipe and if they need any extra treatments.