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Breath hydrogen excretion in healthy premature infants

L M Nicholson1, J D Mitchell, J M Gupta

  • 1Prince of Wales Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|April 1, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Breath hydrogen excretion is common in premature infants after the first day of life. This phenomenon, linked to gut bacteria fermenting lactose, increases with infant age and is a normal occurrence.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Gastroenterology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Premature infants often experience gastrointestinal issues.
  • Lactose-containing feeds are common in neonatal care.
  • Gut microbiome development is crucial in early life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate breath hydrogen excretion in premature infants.
  • To determine the prevalence and patterns of hydrogen excretion.
  • To explore potential correlations with feeding and infant characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 44 premature infants (27-37 weeks gestational age).
  • Monitored breath hydrogen excretion on 84 occasions.
  • Infants received lactose-containing feeds.

Main Results:

  • Hydrogen excretion was rare in the first 24 hours but increased daily.
  • All infants studied from day 5 onwards excreted hydrogen.
  • Excretion levels varied and correlated with infant age, not other factors.

Conclusions:

  • Breath hydrogen excretion is a normal finding in premature infants.
  • The phenomenon is likely due to gut colonization by lactose-fermenting organisms.
  • Further research into the implications of this gut activity is warranted.

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