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Gastric emptying in normal weight and obese children--an ultrasound study
M Chiloiro1, M Caroli, V Guerra
1Laboratory of Experimental Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, Scientific Institute of Gastroenterology, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy.
Insights
Gastric emptying did not significantly differ between normal weight, obese, and severely obese children. However, increased fasting antral area in obese children may indicate an early disturbance affecting satiety and food intake.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Obesity Research
- Digestive Physiology
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global health concern.
- Understanding digestive processes in obese children is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Gastric emptying plays a key role in regulating appetite and food intake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare gastric emptying of a mixed meal in normal weight, obese, and severely obese children.
- To investigate potential early indicators of digestive disturbances in pediatric obesity.
Main Methods:
- A non-invasive ultrasound method was used to assess gastric emptying in 114 school-aged children (6-11 years).
- Children were categorized by body mass index (BMI) into normal weight, obese, and severely obese groups.
- Measurements included half-emptying time (t 1/2) and fasting antral area over 240 minutes post-meal.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in gastric emptying half-emptying time (t 1/2) were observed among the weight groups.
- A significant positive correlation was found between fasting antral area and BMI across all children.
- Severely obese children exhibited a significantly larger fasting antral area compared to normal weight children.
Conclusions:
- The increased fasting antral area in obese children suggests a potential early disturbance in gastric physiology.
- This enlarged gastric volume may contribute to altered satiety signals, potentially leading to increased food consumption.
- Further research is warranted to explore the long-term implications of these findings on appetite regulation in pediatric obesity.
Aim:
To investigate gastric emptying of a mixed solid and liquid meal in normal weight and obese children.
Methods:
114 volunteer children of school age (range 6-11 y) entered the study. Children were considered as being underweight, normal weight, obese, severely obese according to their body mass index (BMI), and were examined using a non-invasive ultrasound method in the morning after an overnight fast period. The examination was always performed in an upright position by the same operator. The half-emptying time and fasting antral area were assessed, and antral area measurements were performed every 30 min for 240 min after meal administration.
Results:
Five children (4.4%) were underweight, 53 (46.5%) were normal weight, 19 (16.6%) were obese, and 37 (32.5%) were severely obese. The underweight group was not considered for the analysis. No significant difference in t 1/2 was found among the three groups. A positive statistically significant correlation was found between fasting antral area and BMI (r = 0.44; P<0.0001) in all children. The fasting antral area value was 3.5 cm2 (range 1.6-8.1) in normal weight children, 3.6 cm2 (range 1.9-7.7) in obese children, and 3.9 cm2 (range 1.5-10.8) in severely obese children. There was a significant difference between severely obese and normal weight children (P<.05). No significant difference was found in the gastric emptying between severely obese and obese children, and between severely obese and normal weight ones.
Conclusion:
The difference in fasting antral area in these groups may be considered as an early disturbance. In fact the increased gastric volume could cause a change in the sense of satiety with a consequent increase in the intake of these subjects.