title: Fructose malabsorption in children with recurrent abdominal pain: positive effects of dietary treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of a fructose-restricted diet in otherwise healthy children with abdominal pain and pathologic fructose hydrogen breath test.
  
  
  METHODS
  75 children (aging 3-14 years) with recurrent abdominal pain without gastrointestinal disease and fructose malabsorption followed a fructose restricted diet for 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A median decline of weekly pain frequency from 4 (mean 3.64+1.6) before diet to 1 (mean 1.46+1.4; p<0.001) under fructose restriction was documented. The intensity of pain decreased from median 6 (mean 5.83+2.0) before intervention to median 3 (mean 3.4+2.5; p<0.001) with diet. Several additional life quality-influencing parameters such as daily stool frequency, nausea, problems to fall asleep, missed school days also improved significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provides evidence that dietary fructose restriction represents a useful approach to address recurrent abdominal symptoms in children with fructose malabsorption.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Universität Witten/Herdecke, HELIOS Klinikum Wuppertal, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wintermeyer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pilic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Choudhury
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zilbauer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wirth
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001944:Breath Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D005632:Fructose