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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups

Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups

Published on: April 24, 2017

Caffeine impairs gastrointestinal function in newborn rats.

Christopher Welsh¹, Jingyi Pan¹, Jaques Belik²

¹Physiology & Experimental Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Pediatric Research

|March 26, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Caffeine impairs gastrointestinal function in newborn rats by relaxing muscles and slowing gastric emptying. This finding suggests caffeine may contribute to feeding intolerance in premature infants, warranting further clinical study.

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Area of Science:

Neonatal Physiology
Pharmacology
Gastroenterology

Background:

Feeding intolerance is common in premature infants.
Caffeine treats apnea of prematurity but its effect on neonatal gastrointestinal function is unknown.
Caffeine is known to reduce lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle tone.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effect of caffeine on esophageal and gastrointestinal motor function in newborn rats.
To determine caffeine's impact on tissue mechanical properties and in vivo gastric emptying rate.

Main Methods:

Assessed caffeine's effects on LES, gastric, ileal, and colonic muscle force and relaxation in newborn and adult rats.
Evaluated caffeine-induced changes in newborn gastric emptying rate after fasting.

Main Results:

Caffeine relaxed precontracted LES and fundal muscle, reduced gastric and intestinal muscle contraction, and delayed gastric emptying in pups.
The muscle relaxant effect of caffeine was age-independent and ryanodine receptor-mediated.

Conclusions:

Caffeine impairs LES and gastrointestinal motor function in newborn rats at therapeutic doses.
Clinical investigation is needed to explore caffeine's contribution to neonatal feeding intolerance.