title: Lactose malabsorption in Bangladeshi village children: relation with age, history of recent diarrhea, nutritional status, and breast feeding.
abstract: The prevalence of lactose malabsorption (LM) among Bangladeshi village children has been determined using the recent developed breath hydrogen test. Initial hospital-based comparison studies showed general agreement between the breath hydrogen test and a modified lactose tolerance test. Two hundred thirty-four children, stratified by age, nutritional status, and history of recent diarrhea then participated in the field study. LM was diagnosed in more than 80% of children over 36 months of age but in none of the children under 6 months. Rates of LM were significantly increased in children with a history of recent diarrhea and a greater proportion of children in some age groups evidenced malabsorption in association with acute undernutrition. In the weanling age group children who were still breast feeding had a lower rate of LM than fully weaned subjects.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001459:Bangladesh; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007787:Lactose Intolerance / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population