title: The steatocrit test as a guide in the prevention of cow's-milk enteropathy following acute infectious enteritis.
abstract: This study was designed to evaluate the following in infants with acute enteritis (AE): the influence of different types of milk on the evolution of the acute phase of the diarrhea and whether the degree of steatorrhea during the acute phase might be a risk factor for developing cow's milk enteropathy (CME). We studied 90 infants with AE, divided into three groups and refed differently after the acute episode: group A was refed using a semielemental formula; group B was refed using a milk containing soy proteins and vegetable oils; and group C was refed using a common cow's-milk formula. Patients with pathological steatocrit values on hospitalization were randomly assigned to groups A and B; patients with normal steatocrit values were placed in group C. After 4 weeks, the patients included in groups A and B were challenged with cow's milk and their reactions were recorded. During the acute phase of the disease, we noticed a longer persistence of diarrhea in group A than in groups B (p less than 0.01) and C (p less than 0.0025). In addition, the number of evacuations per day and steatocrit values were higher in group A than in groups B or C, but these differences were not statistically significant. After 4 weeks, the patients in groups A and B were challenged with cow's milk, and eight of 60 patients had positive reactions; intestinal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of CME. The mean age of these eight patients was 40.3 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Ospedale Pediatrico G. Di Cristina, IV Divisione Lattanti, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carroccio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alongi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montalto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavataio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Comparetto
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balsamo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Notarbartolo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001706:Biopsy; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications*; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D005223:Fats; D008894:Milk Proteins