Maturation of gastric electrical activity, gastric emptying and intestinal permeability in preterm newborns during the first month of life.
BACKGROUND
Immaturity of motility, intestinal epithelial barrier function and absorptive capacity may play a role in the pathophysiology of intestinal diseases in preterms. We determined the gastric electrical activity and emptying, and intestinal permeability, in preterm newborns to verify if a maturation pattern exists in preterm newborns during the first month of life.


METHODS
Eighteen preterm newborns (median 34 wks, range 2 wks) completed the study. They underwent the recording of gastric electrical activity by means of cutaneous electrogastrography, the ultrasound examination of gastric emptying, and the lactulose-to-mannitol ratio from permeability-absorption test on days 3, 7, 15, and 30 after birth.


RESULTS
Gastric electrical activity and emptying showed only slight changes between day 3 and day 7. On the contrary, an evident maturation in permeability, expressed as L/Mratio, was evident over time (Friedman Repeated Measures Analysis, p = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
In preterm healthy newborns of 34 weeks gestational age, electrical and motor activity are completely developed at birth whilst the intestinal epithelial barrier clearly improves during the first week of life.
Riezzo
Giuseppe
G
Department of Pediatrics, University of Bari Policlinico, Piazza G Cesare, 70124, Bari, Italy. f.indrio@neonatologia.uniba.it.
Indrio
Flavia
F
Raimondi
Francesco
F
Montagna
Osvaldo
O
Salvia
Gennaro
G
Massimo
Bisceglia
B
Polimeno
Lorenzo
L
Cavallo
Luciano
L
Francavilla
Ruggiero
R