Gastric acidity during recovery from malnutrition
Vega-Franco, L.; Meza, C.C.; Graham, S.; Toca, T.
Boletin Medico del Hospital Infantil de Mexico 33(6): 1229-1234
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0539-6115 PMID: 827300 Document Number: 97279
Of 15 infants, 7 to 24 months old with severe malnutrition classified as marasmus and reaching only 37 to 56% of normal bodyweight for age, 8 were successfully treated for diarrhoea and only 2 had Hb below 9 g/100 ml. Gastric secretion was measured, in some weekly, basally and after stimulation by subcutaneous histamine, during 4 weeks on a diet, available on demand, containing protein 5 g and energy 150 to 200 kcal/kg bodyweight daily. Basal secretion did not change significantly during the study, but response to stimulation improved gradually and was in week 14 comparable with secretion of normal infants.