Weanling diarrhoea in The Gambia: implications of a jejunal intubation study.
Abnormalities in jejunal flora and bile salt metabolism were most marked in the youngest members of a group of Gambian village children in the weanling age group. These may be linked with the profound change in diarrhoeal morbidity, particularly diarrhoea-induced growth impairment, which occurs as soon as breast-fed infants are regularly supplemented. The pathogenesis of these changes is not understand. The presence of small bowel colonization did not appear to be a causal factor but, it is speculated, its appearance may mark the development of a post-enteritis enteropathy which is responsible for the weanling diarrhoea syndrome and which is caused and perpetuated by traditional weaning foods.
D000367:Age Factors; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology*; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007583:Jejunum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D014886:Weaning
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts