Development of fat digestion in infancy
a Department of Child
Health, University of Glasgow,
Yorkhill Hospitals,
Glasgow G3 8SJ, b MRC Dunn
Nutrition Unit, University of Cambridge
Correspondence to: Professor L T Weaver. Email: lweaver{at}clinmed.gla.ac.uk
Accepted 22 November
1998
AIM
To measure the
development of fat digestion in early life, using a stable isotope
breath test.
METHODSA combined
longitudinal and cross sectional study was performed on 30 term and
preterm infants using 13C-labelled mixed triglyceride
(MTG). Seventy six tests were performed in all. Results were expressed
as cumulative percentage dose recovered over 6 hours (cPDR).
RESULTSEighteen of 34 tests performed on infants under 30 days of age showed cPDRs below the
normal range for adults and older children. The remainder of tests,
performed on infants over 57 days of age, all showed cPDRs within the
normal range. Peak PDR correlated significantly (r = 0.928, p<0.01)
with cPDR.
CONCLUSIONThe
capacity to digest fat is incomplete at birth, but quickly develops to
normal levels during the first months of life. The MTG breath test is a
useful non-invasive method to measure the development of fat digestion
in early life.
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Key points
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Keywords: lipid; digestion; breath test; stable isotope
© 1999 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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