Is a normally functioning gastrointestinal tract necessary for normal growth in late gestation?
R Blakelock1, V Upadhyay, R Kimble
1Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Pediatric Surgery International
|January 31, 1998
Summary
Neonates with congenital intestinal abnormalities, like gastroschisis and intestinal atresia, experience significant growth restriction. This suggests normal fetal gut function is crucial for growth in late gestation.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal Medicine
- Neonatalogy
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Congenital intestinal abnormalities are linked to intrauterine growth restriction in neonates.
- The precise mechanisms linking fetal gut function to growth in late gestation require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that normal fetal gut function is necessary for normal growth in late gestation.
- To determine if different congenital gut abnormalities result in similar growth impairments.
- To assess if growth retardation is more pronounced in term versus preterm infants and independent of other congenital anomalies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of birth weight standard deviation scores (WSDS) in infants with gastroschisis (GS) and intestinal atresia (IA).
- Comparison of WSDS between term and preterm infants, and between infants with and without major congenital anomalies.
- Data collected from infants born in Auckland, New Zealand, and Birmingham, England.
Main Results:
- Term infants with gastroschisis exhibited significantly lower WSDS compared to preterm infants with GS in both Auckland and Birmingham cohorts.
- Term infants with proximal intestinal atresia also showed significantly lower WSDS than preterm infants.
- No significant difference in WSDS was observed between infants with and without major congenital anomalies.
Conclusions:
- Term infants with gastroschisis and proximal intestinal atresia are significantly growth-retarded compared to their preterm counterparts.
- These findings support the hypothesis that normal gastrointestinal tract function is essential for fetal growth in late gestation.
- Exposure of the proximal intestinal mucosa to ingested amniotic fluid appears critical for normal fetal development.
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