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Continuous 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring in 285 asymptomatic infants 0-15 months old
1Academic Children's Hospital, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
Insights
This study establishes normal ranges for gastroesophageal reflux in infants using 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. Significant differences in reflux parameters were found in infants younger and older than four months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infant Health
- Physiology
Background:
- Gastroesophageal reflux is common in infants.
- Establishing normative data for reflux in asymptomatic infants is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
- Previous studies may lack comprehensive data across a wide infant age range.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal ranges for 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring parameters in asymptomatic infants.
- To investigate age-related differences in gastroesophageal reflux in infants.
- To validate 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring as a tool for assessing physiological reflux.
Main Methods:
- Continuous 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring was conducted on 283 asymptomatic infants aged 5 days to 15 months.
- Parameters analyzed included reflux index, longest reflux duration, and number of reflux episodes.
- Infants were grouped by age: 5-15 days, 24-37 days, 3.5-4.5 months, 5.5-6.5 months, 7.5-8.5 months, and 14-16 months.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in all studied reflux parameters were observed between infants younger than 4 months and those older than 4 months.
- Age-dependent variations in reflux patterns were identified across the studied age groups.
- The data provides a basis for age-specific normal ranges.
Conclusions:
- 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is a valuable tool for assessing physiological gastroesophageal reflux in infants under normal circumstances.
- Age is a significant factor influencing reflux parameters in asymptomatic infants, with a notable difference around 4 months of age.
- The study successfully established reference ranges for key reflux parameters, aiding in the interpretation of esophageal pH monitoring in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
A continuous 24-h esophageal pH monitoring was performed in 283 asymptomatic infants between 5 days and 15 months old. Several parameters (reflux index, duration of the longest reflux episode, number of reflux episodes in 24 h, number of reflux episodes greater than 5 min in 24 h) were studied in different groups of infants according to their age: 5-15 days old, 24-37 days old, 3.5-4.5 months old, 5.5-6.5 months old, 7.5-8.5 months old, 14-16 months old. For all parameters we obtained statistically significant different results in infants younger and older than 4 months. The 24-h esophageal pH monitoring is an investigation technique in physiological circumstances in order to establish normal ranges for gastroesophageal reflux in asymptomatic infants.