Normal values for the satiety drinking test in healthy children between 5 and 15 years

Abstract  In adults, a slow caloric drinking test has been proposed as a non-invasive tool to estimate gastric accommodation and to quantify meal-induced symptoms in functional dyspepsia (FD). The same test has been proposed for paediatric FD, but normal values are only available for adolescents and adults. The aim of the study was (i) to establish normal values for the satiety drinking test in young children and (ii) to study the influence of demographic factors. In all, 59 healthy children [27 girls; age range 5–16 years, body mass index (BMI) 17.4 ± 2.5 kg m⁻²] were studied in the morning after an overnight fast. They drank a liquid nutrient meal (1.5 kcal mL⁻¹) from beakers that were filled by a peristaltic pump filled at a rate of 15 mL min⁻¹ with. For every 5 min, satiety was scored on a graphic rating scale grade 0–5 (1 = threshold, 5 = maximum), until a score of 5 was reached. Values are given as mean ± SEM and compared by t -test; correlation analysis was performed using Spearman rank test. All children performed the test as indicated except for one 5 years old who stopped prematurely for dislike of the taste. The endpoint was reached at 360 ± 23 mL (540 ± 34 kcal), and was age-dependent (Spearman r  = 0.28, P  = 0.03). No correlation was found between the maximum volume ingested and gender, weight, height or BMI. Age-dependent normal ranges were determined for ages 5–16 at 3-year intervals, and were found to increase with age. We established feasibility of and normal values for a non-invasive satiety drinking test in children with an age range of 5–15 years. This tool can now be used in the assessment of paediatric FD and eating disorders.