Nutritional condition and absorptive capacity of 14 infants with short bowel syndrome

We examined the absorptive capacity and the nutritional condition of 14 infants with short bowel syndrome, whose residual small intestine was 90 cm or less. Their age ranged from 1 year to 18 years. Examined items were body weight, height, serum albumin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fat soluble vitamins, trace elements and rapid turn over protein as markers of the nutritional condition. Fecal fat, fecal bile acid, d-xylose absorption test, sugar-, amino acid-evoked potential difference in the small intestine and disaccharidase activity of the mucosa were examined as markers of the absorptive capacity. Our results showed that the body weight was below the normal range in the patients with small intestine of less than 50 cm. Most nutritional markers were within normal range, however, cholesterol and vitamin D were low in the patients with fat malabsorption, especially in patients with less than 50 cm of small intestine. Fecal bile acid was higher than the normal range in all the patients. Potential difference was in normal range or slightly lower than normal in all the patients. We concluded that infants with less than 50 cm of small intestine had malabsorption of sugar, protein and fat. Therefore, prolonged nutrient support, especially fat, is necessary.