Carbohydrate intolerance in infants with acute diarrhoea and its complications

Two hundred and seventy-one infants with acute diarrhoea were studied for the presence of carbohydrate malabsorption and 110 infants (40.6%) were found to have carbohydrate intolerance. Malnutrition and severe diarrhoea were found to increase the predisposition to carbohydrate intolerance. The incidence of major complications, protracted diarrhoea and mortality were significantly higher in the carbohydrate intolerant infants as compared to those with carbohydrate tolerance.