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Basal and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion in newborn human infants
Insights
Newborn infants show similar basal and maximal gastric acid outputs on days 1 and 2 of life. Elevated gastrin levels suggest newborns may have maximal acid secretion or unresponsive parietal cells to pentagastrin stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Physiology
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatric Research
Background:
- Gastric acid secretion is crucial for infant digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Understanding neonatal gastric function is vital for addressing feeding issues and potential gastrointestinal complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in healthy newborn infants.
- To assess the responsiveness of neonatal gastric acid production in the early postnatal period.
Main Methods:
- Measured basal acid output (BAO) and maximal acid output (MAO) in 26 healthy newborns on days 1 and 2 of life.
- Assessed fasting serum gastrin levels before acid secretion studies.
- Calculated acid outputs on both an hourly and per kilogram per hour basis.
Main Results:
- BAO and MAO were not significantly different between day 1 and day 2.
- Acid secretion rates, whether basal or maximal, remained consistent and showed no significant increase with pentagastrin stimulation.
- Elevated fasting serum gastrin levels (mean 100-108 pg/ml) were observed in the newborns.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal gastric acid secretion may be maximal under basal conditions within the first 48 hours of life.
- Newborn parietal cells might exhibit unresponsiveness to pentagastrin stimulation during this early period.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms regulating neonatal gastric acid production.
Abstract:
Basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion was measured in 26 healthy newborn infants on the 1st and 2nd days of life. Basal acid outputs (BAO) on day 1 (0.378 mEq/hr) and day 2 (0.388 mEq/hr) were similar and not significantly different from the maximal acid outputs (MAO) on day 1 (0.413 mEq/hr) and day 2 (0.452 mEq/hr). When calculated on a mEq/kg/hr basis, BAO on day 1 was 0.110 with an MAO of 0.122. The BAO on day 2 was 0.114 with an MAO of 0.133. Fasting serum gastrin levels obtained before the acid studies on each day were elevated (mean, day 1 = 100 pg/ml; mean, day 2 = 108 pg/ml). These findings suggest that either gastric acid secretion in the newborn is maximal under basal condition or that newborn parietal cells are unresponsive to pentagastrin on day 1 and 2 of life.