健康新生儿的胃电图特征

目的比较不同日龄新生儿空腹和餐后胃电慢波的主频、功率比、不同慢波节律百分比、主频不稳定系数,以确定健康新生儿胃电慢波的特征。方法20名健康足月新生儿胎龄37～39周,男11名,女9名,出生时阿氏评分平均为(9.3±0.4)分,无窒息、母乳喂养、无器质性疾病。采用体表胃电图,分别于出生后第1(第12小时)、7、14、21、28天记录空腹和餐后体表胃电图各30min。计算胃电图的以下参数:主频、不同慢波节律的百分比、主频不稳定系数、功率比。结果在所有新生儿均可记录到清晰的胃电图波形,新生儿出生后第0、7、14、21、28天餐前的正常节律百分比分别为38.1±4.9、38.2±4.3、38.5±3.7、39.2±3.9、39.7±3.5,胃动过速节律百分比分别为23.8±5.4、24.3±3.6、23.8±3.8、23.7±4.1、23.5±4.3,胃动过缓节律百分比分别为38.1±5.5、37.5±4.8、37.7±4.1、37.1±3.6、36.8±3.9,不同日龄餐前与餐后相比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。新生儿出生后第1～28天餐前主频为(2.38±0.5)cpm～(2.59±0.1)cpm,餐后与餐前相比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),第14、21、28天餐前、餐后的主频较第1、7天高(P<0.05);生后第21、28天餐前、餐后的主频不稳定系数较第1、7、14天低(P<0.05),餐后与餐前相比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),生后第1～28天餐后餐前功率比,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论健康新生儿的胃电慢波尚不成熟,其特征为主频和正常节律百分比较低,而胃动过速节律和胃动过缓节律百分比较高,进餐后各参数无明显变化。这一特征在评价新生儿的胃电生理学和胃运动功能紊乱的诊断方面有一定的参考价值。     

健康新生儿的胃电图特征

目的 比较不同日龄新生儿空腹和餐后胃电慢波的主频、功率比、不同慢波节律百分比、主频不稳定系数,以确定健康新生儿胃电慢波的特征.方法 20名健康足月新生儿胎龄37～39周,男11名,女9名,出生时阿氏评分平均为(9.3±0.4)分,无窒息、母乳喂养、无器质性疾病.采用体表胃电图,分别于出生后第1(第12小时)、7、14、21、28天记录空腹和餐后体表胃电图各30min.计算胃电图的以下参数主频、不同慢波节律的百分比、主频不稳定系数、功率比.结果 在所有新生儿均可记录到清晰的胃电图波形,新生儿出生后第0、7、14、21、28天餐前的正常节律百分比分别为38.1±4.9、38.2±4.3、38.5±3.7、39.2±3.9、39.7±3.5,胃动过速节律百分比分别为23.8±5.4、24.3±3.6、23.8±3.8、23.7±4.1、23.5±4.3,胃动过缓节律百分比分别为38.1±5.5、37.5±4.8、37.7±4.1、37.1±3.6、36.8±3.9,不同日龄餐前与餐后相比,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).新生儿出生后第1～28天餐前主频为(2.38±0.5)cpm～(2.59±0.1)cpm,餐后与餐前相比,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),第14、21、28天餐前、餐后的主频较第1、7天高(P＜0.05);生后第21、28天餐前、餐后的主频不稳定系数较第1、7、14天低(P＜0.05),餐后与餐前相比,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05),生后第1～28天餐后餐前功率比,差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 健康新生儿的胃电慢波尚不成熟,其特征为主频和正常节律百分比较低,而胃动过速节律和胃动过缓节律百分比较高,进餐后各参数无明显变化.这一特征在评价新生儿的胃电生理学和胃运动功能紊乱的诊断方面有一定的参考价值.     

功能性消化不良及厌食患儿的胃电节律变化

目的：厌食是儿科门诊特别是消化专科门诊中常见的主诉,小儿厌食可能与多种因素有关,该文通过对部分诊断为功能消化不良,伴有或不伴有厌食的病人进行体表胃电图监测,探讨胃电活动改变是否与厌食存在一定关系。方法：32例病人均有消化道症状,包括腹痛、腹胀、恶心、呕吐、反酸,呃逆、早饱等,根据有无厌食被分为厌食组(n=18)和非厌食组(n=14) ,所有病人进行餐前30 min,餐后120 min的体表胃电图检查,记录两组餐前餐后正常胃电主频,胃电节律过缓,胃电节律过快的百分比,主频不稳定系数,餐前/餐后主功率比。比较两组胃电图结果的各项参数。结果：①厌食组和非厌食组病人的胃电节律异常检出率分别为餐前77.8%（14/18）和78.6%（11/14）,P>0.05,餐后77.8%（14/18）和57.1%（8/14）P>0.05; ②两组胃电过缓百分比分别为餐前31.6% (10.18~45.33),48.9% (31.7~62.93),P>0.05,餐后33.4% (12.95~62.17),27.8% (7.4~48.1),P>0.05; ③厌食组餐前餐后胃电节律过速的百分比高于非厌食组,6.2% (2.78~19.43),0%(0~4.63),P<0.01, 和14.8% (4.73~28.85),1.9% (0~18.5),P<0.05; ④两组餐前餐后主频不稳定系数差异均无显著性; ⑤两组餐后/餐前主功率比差异无显著性。结论：功能性消化不良患儿发生胃电节律紊乱的比例较高,功能性消化不良伴厌食的患儿餐前餐后胃电节律过速的百分比高于不伴厌食患儿,而以餐前更明显。     

新生儿胃肌电变化的研究

目的观察新生儿胃肌电发育过程,并初步探讨其变化规律.方法对23例健康新生儿生后1周、2周及1月进行胃肌电描记.采用皮肤表面电极,从腹壁体表用PCPOLYGRAP-HR多功能胃肠检测仪记录胃电,观察主频率(DF)、主频率不稳定系数(DFIC)、正常胃慢波百分比(PNSW).结果餐前、餐后正常呈随周龄增大而增加的趋势,餐后PNSW明显高于餐前.DF和DFIC各阶段无明显差异,但自身比较,餐后DF高于餐前,餐后DFIC低于餐前.结论研究显示出新生儿胃电肌运动的发育过程.     

功能性消化不良患儿多导胃电与胃排空的关系研究

目的 探讨功能性消化不良(FD)患儿的胃电图异常与胃排空的相关性.方法 使用Polygraf ID 四导胃电分析系统和核素法固体胃排空测定51例FD患儿和25例健康体检儿童的胃电活动和胃排空情况.结果①FD组与对照组相比,正常慢波百分比(N%)明显低于对照组(P＜0.01);FD组患儿有较高的胃电异常发生率,主要表现为餐前餐后混合性胃电节律紊乱,共32例,占62.7%.②FD组与对照组相比,4个导联餐后/餐前功率比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),显示FD组餐后主功率不增加.③FD组患儿餐前主频不稳定系数,餐前与餐后主功率不稳定系数增高;FD组患儿餐前、餐后慢波耦联率(%)分别为26.95±13.69,26.93±12.63,对照组为69.02±5.15,70.18±4.68,FD组慢波耦联率低于对照组(P＜0.01).④FD组患儿胃排空延迟占23.5%,经Logistic多因素相关分析胃排空延迟与餐前、餐后慢波耦联率存在负相关(偏回归系数分别为-0.513,-0.296).结论 FD患儿有较高的胃电异常发生率,主要表现为胃电节律紊乱和餐后主功率不增加,餐前主频不稳定系数,餐前与餐后主功率不稳定系数增高,慢波耦联率降低;胃排空延迟与慢波耦联率存在负相关.提示胃电异常在FD的发病中有一定意义.     

新生儿胃肌电变化的研究

目的 观察新生儿胃肌电发育过程，并初步探讨其变化规律。方法 对23例健康新生儿生后1周、2周及1月进行胃肌电描记。采用皮肤表面电极，从腹壁体表用PCPOLYGRAP-HR多功能胃肠检测仪记录胃电，观察主频率(DF)、主频率不稳定系数(DFIC)、正常胃慢波百分比(PNSW)。结果 餐前、餐后正常呈随周龄增大而增加的趋势，餐后PNSW明显高于餐前。DF和DFIC各阶段无明显差异，但自身比较，餐后DF高于餐前，餐后DFIC低于餐前。结论 研究显示出新生儿胃电肌运动的发育过程。     

不同胎龄新生儿空腹体表胃电图特点

目的 分析不同胎龄新生儿体表胃电图的临床特点.方法 收集不同胎龄新生儿的体表胃电图资料.将收入我科不同胎龄的新生儿分为4组:Ⅰ组为胎龄≥37周;Ⅱ组为胎龄34～36 6周;Ⅲ组为胎龄32～33周;Ⅳ组为胎龄＜32周,在生后1周内进行体表胃电图检测,记录并分析胃电图参数.应用ANOVA方法对各组间的差异进行统计学分析.对其中部分早产儿在生后1周内、2、4周分别进行胃电图检测,应用配对t检验检测同一病例的胃电图参数的前后差异.结果 对141例新生儿进行了胃电图检测,Ⅰ组25例;Ⅱ44例;Ⅲ组33例;Ⅳ组39例.与成人和儿童相比所有新生儿的正常胃电慢波百分比均较低,平均为30.6%,而胃电节律紊乱百分比较高.各组间正常胃电慢波百分比、胃电节律过缓百分比及胃电节律过速百分比差异无统计学意义.24例早产儿生后4周及生后2周的胃电图参数与生后1周内相比差异无统计学意义.结论 与成人和儿童相比,新生儿的胃肌电活动不成熟,生后1周内不同胎龄的早产儿与足月儿的胃电形式比较,差异无统计学意义,新生儿的胃肌电活动在生后4周时仍处于发育成熟阶段.     

不同胎龄新生儿空腹体表胃电图特点

目的分析不同胎龄新生儿体表胃电图的临床特点。方法收集不同胎龄新生儿的体表胃电图资料。将收入我科不同胎龄的新生儿分为4组：Ⅰ组为胎龄≥37周；Ⅱ组为胎龄34～36^＋6周；Ⅲ组为胎龄32～33^＋6周；Ⅳ组为胎龄〈32周，在生后1周内进行体表胃电图检测，记录并分析胃电图参数。应用ANOVA方法对各组间的差异进行统计学分析。对其中部分早产儿在生后1周内、2、4周分别进行胃电图检测，应用配对t检验检测同一病例的胃电图参数的前后差异。结果对141例新生儿进行了胃电图检测，Ⅰ组25例；Ⅱ44例；HI组33例；Ⅳ组39例。与成人和儿童相比所有新生儿的正常胃电慢波百分比均较低，平均为30．6％，而胃电节律紊乱百分比较高。各组间正常胃电慢波百分比、胃电节律过缓百分比及胃电节律过速百分比差异无统计学意义。24例早产儿生后4周及生后2周的胃电图参数与生后1周内相比差异无统计学意义。结论与成人和儿童相比，新生儿的胃肌电活动不成熟，生后1周内不同胎龄的早产儿与足月儿的胃电形式比较，差异无统计学意义，新生儿的胃肌电活动在生后4周时仍处于发育成熟阶段。     

小儿周期性呕吐综合征的胃肠动力特点

目的 了解小儿周期性呕吐综合征(CVS)的胃肠动力特点,探讨发病机制和治疗.方法 总结27例CVS患儿的钡餐造影、胃和全消化道排空时间测定(＞5岁)、体表胃电图等检查资料及治疗效果.结果 27例中12例发作期消化道钡餐造影表现动力功能低下,如胃蠕动差、胃滞留液、胃肠排空延迟、胃食管反流;16例停止发作＞1个月检查无动力异常.25例于发作及围发作期体表胃电图示正常胃电节律百分比均值餐前为36%,餐后为47%;5例呕吐停止≥3个月时胃电图餐前正常胃电节律百分比为69.1%,餐后为86.8%.20例围发作期检测胃排空延迟占7例,全消化道排空延迟5例.发作≥1次/月患儿予多虑平、丙戊酸钠、塞庚啶等预防性治疗,21例有长期随访,17例预防治疗患儿已停止发作＞6个月.结论 CVS患儿有胃肠动力障碍,尤其在发作期.中枢水平的神经调控药物治疗有效.     

窒息新生儿胃电节律改变及普瑞博思的疗效观察

目的探讨窒息对新生儿胃电活动的影响及普瑞博思的疗效。方法利用体表胃电图(EGG)对50例窒息新生儿和20例正常新生儿哺乳前后进行30min至1h的胃电活动监测。对胃肠症状明显的7例窒息儿使用普瑞博思乳剂治疗7天,治疗前后监测EGG。结果70例新生儿有39例(56％)成功记录到EGG。轻度窒息组较对照组哺乳前胃动过缓[＜2周/分(cpm)]百分比增多,差别具有统计学意义(P＜0.01)。重度窒息组正常慢波百分比较对照组及轻度窒息组明显降低,胃动过速(＞4cpm)百分比明显增多,P＜0.01。重度窒息组比轻度组及对照组主频率不稳定系数增高,P＜0.01。普瑞博思治疗后窒息儿胃肠症状消失,正常慢波百分比较治疗前增高,胃动过速明显减少,P＜0.01。结论可通过胃电图观察窒息新生儿的胃电活动,进而研究新生儿消化道动力;国产期窒息的新生儿出现拒乳、腹胀、呕吐等症状,可能与其胃电活动异常有关;普瑞博思可以再建正常的胃电节律而有效改善窒息儿胃肠症状。     

Electrogastrography in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: weak correlation with metabolic control parameters

AIM: To evaluate gastric myoelectrical activity with respect to duration and metabolic control of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: 172 children and adolescents with T1DM (mean 14.4+/-3.7 y), divided into subgroups depending on diabetes duration (< 5 and > 5 y), and 35 healthy controls (mean 13.93+/-3.59 y) were examined. All subjects underwent electrogastrography (EGG) performed after overnight fasting. In subjects with T1DM, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood glucose levels during EGG records were measured. RESULTS: 15.69% of T1DM patients and 91.42% of the controls fulfilled normal EGG criteria (p < 0.001). T1DM subjects had a lower percentage of fasting normogastria (34.56+/-27.35% vs 69.84+/-18.16%, p = 0.0001) and higher bradygastria (51.97+/-30.24% vs 19.11+/-15.01%, p = 0.0001) compared to controls. In diabetic patients, an increase in postprandial normogastria (60.37+/-23.96% vs 76.68+/-12.38, p < 0.05) and a decrease in bradygastria percentage (25.67+/-21.01% vs 9.58+/-7.13%, p < 0.05) was observed. In children with disease < 5 y, diabetes duration correlated with power ratio (r = - 0.27, p = 0.01), postprandial normogastria (r = - 0.24, p = 0.03) and tachygastria (r = 0.25, p = 0.02). Weak correlations between EGG parameters and glucose (preprandial dominant frequency r = - 0.19, p < 0.05; postprandial normogastria r = 0.23, p < 0.01) and HbA1c levels (preprandial bradygastria r = 0.19, postprandial dominant power r = 0.23; p < 0.05) were observed. CONCLUSION: Gastric myoelectrical rhythm derangement is present in a large proportion of young diabetic patients. Bradygastria is the most prominent EGG abnormality. Weak correlation was found between EGG parameters and diabetes metabolic control.     

Prevalence of EGG derangement in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in childhood

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate gastric myoelectrical activity in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes melliltus (T1DM) in relation to blood glucose control and visceral neuropathy. METHODS: Percutaneous electrogastrograpy (EGG) was performed on 42 children (20 F; mean age 12.9 +/- 3.1 years) with T1DM of <1 year's duration and on 35 healthy controls (18 F; mean age 13.4 +/- 3.6 years). After overnight fasting, a 30-minute EGG recording was followed by test meal consumption and then a 60-minute postprandial EGG aquisition. Fasting and postprandial periods were analyzed for gastric dysrhythmias, dominant frequency (DF) and additional parameters. In T1DM patients, HbA1c and blood glucose levels were measured and tests for visceral neuropathy were performed. RESULTS: In 41 T1DM patients (98%), cardiovascular neuropathy tests were negative. In 12 of those patients (29%) and in 32 healthy controls (91%), electrogastrograms were normal. The percentages of fasting and postprandial gastric dysrhythmias were significantly higher in T1DM patients compared to controls (P < 0,05). In T1DM children after feeding, some normalization of gastric myoelectrical rhythm was observed: normogastria increased nearly 2-fold to 72.6 +/- 22.9% and bradygastria decreased to 20.8 +/- 20.4% from 52.3 +/- 32.4% (P < 0.05). The percentages of fasting bradygastria and normogastria were correlated with glycemia level (r = -0.55 and r = 0.51, respectively; P < 0.05), as was postprandial DF (r = 0.41; P < 0.05). There was no correlation between HbA1c levels and EGG parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Derangement of the gastric myoelectrical activity is present in 71% of children with early stage T1DM. Glucose levels influence gastric myoelectrical activity, whereas long-term glucose control (HbA1c level) does not correlate with EGG parameters.     

Vomiting and gastric motility in infants with cow's milk allergy

BACKGROUND: Regurgitation and vomiting are common manifestations of cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in infants and are usually ascribed to gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Gastric anaphylaxis can induce antral dysmotility in the rat, and therefore the hypothesis for the current study was that cow's milk in sensitized infants may impair antral motility, thereby promoting GER and reflex vomiting. METHODS: Seven vomiting infants with CMPA and nine with primary GER underwent a challenge with cow's milk formula. Electrogastrography (EGG) was used to measure the spectral frequency (bradygastria = 1.5-2.4 cycles per minute [cpm], normogastria = 2.5-3.9 cpm, tachygastria = 4.0-9.0 cpm) and the postprandial-to-fasting power ratio of gastric electrical activity, whereas gastric half-emptying time (T1/2) was measured by electrical impedance tomography (EIT). RESULTS: In CMPA and GER, respectively, during fasting, the frequency distribution (mean +/- SD) of the EGG was as follows: normogastria 47.9%+/-12.5% versus 52.2%+/-9.8%, bradygastria 24.1%+/-5.7% versus 22.8%+/-8.3%, and tachygastria 28.0% 8.5% versus 25.0% 8.3%. In contrast, after the cow's milk challenge, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant: normogastria 33.1%+/-8.8% versus 70.6%+/-8.6% (P < 0.0001). bradygastria 38.0%+/-15.5% versus 15.7%+/-5.2% (P = 0.002), and tachygastria 28.9%+/-10.6% versus 13.4%+/-4.6% (P = 0.001. The postprandial/ fasting power ratio (mean +/- SD) was 3.2+/-1.9 in CMPA and 8.1+/-2.1 in GER (P < 0.0001). Gastric T1/2 (mean +/- SD) of the cow's milk meal was 89.0+/-26.3 minutes versus 54.0+/-12.6 minutes (P = 0.003). In infants with GER all EGG parameters and gastric T1/2 were similar to that in 10 healthy control infants. CONCLUSIONS: In sensitized infants, cow's milk induces severe gastric dysrhythmia and delayed gastric emptying, which in turn may exacerbate GER and induce reflex vomiting. Electrogastrography and EIT can be useful in the assessment of vomiting, GER, and CMPA in infants.     

Gastric electrical activity normalises in the first decade of life.

AIM: Electrogastrography (EGG) is emerging as a non-invasive modality for clinical investigation, especially in children. Yet the results of EGG are influenced by many factors, including age. The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between EGG parameters and age. METHODS: Fasting surface EGG (Digitrapper, Synectics) was recorded on 24 healthy boys. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, taking p < 0.05 as being statistically significant. RESULTS: The age of the boys studied ranged from 1.0 to 11 years (mean = 6.0 years). The percentage of bradygastria was high, accounting for 34% of the recording. Normal rhythm increased (p = 0.013) and the bradygastria decreased with age (p = 0.026). The dominant frequency instability coefficient also decreased to a certain extent with age (p = 0.065). CONCLUSION: Compared to the adult population, bradygastria is common in children. The EGG progressively approaches adult pattern as the enteric development matures in the first decade of life. This justifies the conservative approach in managing conditions like gastro-oesophageal reflux in young children.     

Electrogastrography in pediatric functional dyspepsia: relationship to gastric emptying and symptom severity

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the electrogastrographic patterns in children with functional dyspepsia and to investigate the correlations among electrogastrogram (EGG), gastric emptying (GE), and pain severity. METHODS: We studied 30 children (19 F; mean age 11.4 years) with functional dyspepsia. Electrogastrography was performed for 30 minutes fasting and for 1 hour during a GE test after ingestion of an isotope-labeled solid meal. The percent emptying was measured every 10 minutes for 1 hour after the meal. The dominant frequency of the EGG, the change in the postprandial peak power (deltaP), and percent dysrhythmia during each recording session were calculated. Specific symptoms were graded from 0 (none) to 4 (severe) by the patient. RESULTS: Of 30 patients, 14 (47%) had slow GE, and 15 (50%) had abnormal EGG (dysrhythmia > or = 30% or deltaP < 0). GE was slow in 73% of patients with an abnormal EGG but was slow in only 20% of patients with normal EGG (P = 0.009). GE was negatively correlated with fasting bradygastria (r = -0.383, P = 0.04). Abdominal pain was the most severe dyspeptic symptom, both during fasting and after the meal. Patients with an abnormal EGG had an increased mean pain severity score (3.5 +/- 0.2 vs. 2.5 +/- 0.2, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Sixty percent of functional dyspepsia subjects had either slow GE or abnormal EGG. Patients with abnormal EGG were more likely to have slow GE. EGG abnormalities were associated with more severe postprandial pain and should be considered a possible mechanism for dyspeptic symptoms.     

Changes in gastric myoelectrical activity in hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and after surgical correction

The changes of gastric myoelectrical activity were investigated in 20 infants by cutaneous electrogastrography (EGG) before and after the surgical correction of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS). The dominance of 2–4 cycles per minute (CPM) slow waves is typical of the healthy gastric function. The shift of the dominant frequencies towards the slower frequency (0–2 CPM) is defined as bradygastria, whereas a shift towards the more frequent waves (4–10 CPM) is called tachygastria. Unlike with healthy infants, the electrogastrogram showed pathologic patterns in 85% (18 out of 20) of IHPS patients. In all except two of these infants with pathologic electrical patterns, the frequency of the waves significantly shifted towards tachygastria. The effect of feeding on the gastric myoelectrical activity could only be studied in limited (9/20) cases because of recurring vomiting during the preoperative period. In IHPS infants, a significant increase in the bradygastria group was observed in the postprandial period compared with healthy infants. Three to 5 days after surgical repair (pyloromyotomy) and the reintroduction of feeding in gradually increasing amounts, the gastric myoelectrical activity showed physiologic patterns again, showing that the pyloric function was back to normal. Cutaneous EGG is a useful, noninvasive method to obtain indirect information about the motor function of the stomach and might be further applicable to pediatric gastric motility disorders.     

Electrogastrographic norms in children: toward the development of standard methods, reproducible results, and reliable normative data.

BACKGROUND: Surface electrogastrography (EGG) is a noninvasive technique that detects gastric myoelectrical electric activity, principally the underlying pacemaker activity generated by the specialized interstitial cells of Cajal. Interest in the use of this methodology has grown because of its potential applications in describing functional gastrointestinal disorders, particularly as a tool in the evaluation of nausea, anorexia, and other dyspeptic symptoms. METHODS: Fifty-five healthy volunteers (27 female), ranging in age from 6 to 18 years (mean, 11.7 years), were studied for a 1-hour baseline preprandial period and a 1-hour postprandial period after consumption of a standard 448-kcal meal. Recordings were obtained with an EGG Digitrapper or modified Polygraph (Medtronic-Synectics, Shoreview, MN). Spectral analysis by an autoregressive moving average method was used to extract numerical data on the power and frequency of gastric electrical activity from the EGG signal. RESULTS: The authors present normative data for healthy children and adolescents studied under a standardized protocol. Mean dominant frequency was found to be 2.9 +/- 0.40 cycles per minute preprandially and 3.1 +/- 0.35 postprandially, with 80% +/- 13% of test time spent in the normogastric range (2-4 cycles per minute) before and 85% +/- 11% after the test meal. The response of several key parameters to meal consumption was considered, and the effects of age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) on the EGG were sought. CONCLUSIONS: There is a postprandial increase in the rhythmicity and amplitude of gastric slow waves, as other investigators have shown in adults. Key normative values are not dependent on age, gender, or BMI. The authors discuss limitations in the data set and its interpretability. The authors establish a normative data set after developing a standardized recording protocol and test meal and show that EGG recordings can be obtained reliably in the pediatric population. Development of similar norms by investigators using the EGG is crucial for future exploration of the validity and clinical application of the EGG. Differences in test conditions of signal detection and analytic methods influence EGG results substantially, and caution should be used when comparing results across centers.