title: Pancreatic insufficiency, growth, and nutrition in infants identified by newborn screening as having cystic fibrosis.
abstract: To evaluate the impact of early pancreatic insufficiency on growth and nutritional status in cystic fibrosis, we studied 49 infants identified by a newborn screening program. Pancreatic insufficiency, determined by increased 72-hour fecal fat excretion, was present in 59% (23/39) of infants at diagnosis (7.0 +/- 0.8 weeks; mean +/- SEM). Before initiation of pancreatic enzyme replacement, growth and nutritional status of pancreatic-insufficient (n = 16) and pancreatic-sufficient (n = 13) infants were compared. Pancreatic-insufficient infants gained less weight from birth to diagnosis (13.4 +/- 3.4 vs 22.3 +/- 4.0 gm/day; p = 0.05), had decreased triceps skin-fold thicknesses (4.5 +/- 0.3 vs 6.1 +/- 0.4 mm; p less than 0.005), and had lower blood urea nitrogen (3.07 +/- 0.42 vs 4.62 +/- 0.65 mg/dl; p = 0.02) and albumin (2.99 +/- 0.14 vs 3.54 +/- 0.14 gm/dl; p less than 0.01) levels despite higher gross calorie (154 +/- 8 vs 116 +/- 13 kcal/kg per day; p less than 0.01) and protein intakes (2.81 +/- 0.21 vs 2.14 +/- 0.33 gm/kg per day; p = 0.03). Fecal nitrogen loss was correlated with fat loss (r = 0.79; p less than 0.001). Fat malabsorption was present in 79% (30/38) and 92% (33/36) of infants tested at 6 months and 12 months of age, respectively, indicating that pancreatic insufficiency persists and increases in frequency throughout infancy. We conclude that pancreatic insufficiency is prevalent in young infants with cystic fibrosis and has a significant impact on growth and nutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Bronstein
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sokol
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Abman
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Chatfield
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hambidge
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stall
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Accurso
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D010188:Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015997:Neonatal Screening; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D012709:Serum Albumin