FECAL FAT AND NITROGEN IN HEALTHY CHILDREN AND IN CHILDREN WITH MALABSORPTION OR MALDIGESTION
- 1 November 1970
- journal article
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Pediatrics
- Vol. 46 (5) , 690-695
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.46.5.690
Abstract
The daily excretion of total fatty acids and nitrogen in stool was assessed in 3 or 5 days' collection periods in 71 control patients and in 71 patients with different forms of malabsorption and maldigestion. Control infants have higher normal values for fecal fat (range 1.1 to 3.6 gm/day, upper limit, calculated as mean ± S.D. = 4.3 gm/day) than older children (range 0.2 to 2.2 gm/day, mean + 2 S.D. = 3.02 for children aged 1 to 4 years, and range 0.8 to 3.2 gm/day, mean + 2 S.D. = 3.11 gm/day for children aged 4 to 10 years). The upper limit of fecal nitrogen was found to be 1 gm in infants and 1.2 gm/day in children. Patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency excreted significantly higher amounts of both fat and nitrogen than those of camparable age with untreated Celiac disease. These findings can be of diagnostic value in this age group.Keywords
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