Growth and nutritional aspects of infantile short bowel syndrome for the past 2 decades.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective study is to describe characteristics of the first year of infantile short bowel syndrome (SBS), with regard to nutritional correlates and growth. Differences in outcome between decade 1980 (1980 to 1990) and decade 1990 (1990 to 2000) were studied.


METHODS
Children with infantile SBS, who had been admitted in their first year of life between January 1975 and January 2002, were included. Patient characteristics, duration of parenteral nutrition (PN), type of enteral nutrition, and every quarterly term weight and height for age were collected. Data of decade 1980 and decade 1990 were compared, using appropriate statistical analysis.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight patients were identified for decade 1980 vs 62 patients in decade 1990. Length of stay was significantly shorter in decade 1990 (116 vs 182 days; P = .018). Residual bowel length was not significantly longer in the latter decade (74 cm vs 60 cm; not significant [ns]). Mean weight for age (SD score [SDS]) in the first year of SBS in decade 1980 was significantly lower than in decade 1990 (0.9 SDS; P = .035).


CONCLUSIONS
Improved care of patients with SBS and the slightly longer residual bowel length (ns) in decade 1990 resulted in shorter length of stay, shorter duration of PN, and significantly higher SDS for weight for age compared with decade 1980.
Olieman
Joanne F
JF
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, The Netherlands. j.olieman@erasmusmc.nl
Tibboel
Dick
D
Penning
Corine
C
D001835:Body Weight; D019090:Case Management / Q000639:trends; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects; D002423:Cause of Death; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D004766:Enterostomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012778:Short Bowel Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology