Fat Digestion in the Newborn: CHARACTERIZATION OF LIPASE IN GASTRIC ASPIRATES OF PREMATURE AND TERM INFANTS

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Abstract

We have measured lipolytic activity in gastric aspirates obtained at birth in a group of 142 infants. The infants ranged in gestational age from 26 to 41 wk. Lipolytic activity, measured by the hydrolysis of long chain triglyceride ([tri-3H]oleate), and expressed as nanomoles FFA per milliliter gastric aspirate per minute was 333±66 in 55 small premature infants (gestational age 26-34 wk and body wt 750-2,000 g) and 558±45 in a group of 87 larger infants (gestational age 35-41 wk and body wt 2,020-4,000 g). No activity was detected in seven infants with an unusually low pH in the gastric aspirate, 2.88±0.44 (compared with a mean pH level of 5.59±0.22 in the other 135 infants).

Authors

Margit Hamosh, John W. Scanlon, Dvora Ganot, Melodie Likel, Kathleen B. Scanlon, Paul Hamosh