Combined lactose-D-xylose tolerance test in infancy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Diagnostic Testing
• Infant Nutrition

Background:

• Assessing infant digestive absorptive function is crucial for identifying potential health issues.
• Separate oral tolerance tests for lactose and D-xylose are commonly used but require multiple procedures.
• Optimizing diagnostic protocols can improve efficiency and patient comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and comparability of a modified combined oral lactose-D-xylose tolerance test in normal infants.
• To determine if a single combined test can reliably assess digestive absorptive function compared to separate tests.

Main Methods:

• A modified combined oral lactose-D-xylose tolerance test was administered to ten healthy infants.
• Blood glucose and D-xylose levels were measured and compared to levels obtained from separate tests in the same subjects.

Main Results:

• Peak blood glucose and D-xylose levels from the combined test were comparable to those from separate tests.
• The combined test demonstrated similar diagnostic yield for evaluating digestive absorptive function.

Conclusions:

• The modified combined oral lactose-D-xylose tolerance test is a viable and efficient alternative to separate tests.
• This combined approach is recommended for routine evaluation of digestive absorptive function in infants, simplifying the diagnostic process.