Silvia Salvatore

Prevalence and Health Outcomes of Functional Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Infants From Birth to 12 Months of Age

Objectives: The aim of the study was to review published evidence and the opinion of practising clinicians on the prevalence and long-term health consequences of functional gastrointestinal symptoms in infants younger than 12 months. Methods: PubMed was searched from inception to November 2014 to find articles reporting the prevalence and long-term health outcomes of infantile colic, regurgitation, functional constipation, functional diarrhoea, and dyschezia in infants younger than <12 months. A questionnaire was sent to practising clinicians worldwide, and a group of 15 international experts met to discuss the likely frequency and longer-term consequences of these symptoms. Results: The literature search identified 30 studies reporting the prevalence of infantile colic (2%–73%), 13 that of regurgitation (3%–87%), 8 that of functional constipation (0.05%–39.3%), 2 that of functional diarrhoea (2%–4.1%), and 3 that of dyschezia (0.9%–5.6%). The studies varied in design, populations investigated, and definition of the symptoms. Questionnaires were received from 369 respondents. The experts agreed that the likely prevalences for colic, regurgitation, and functional constipation were 20%, 30%, and 15%, respectively. The limited data in the literature for functional diarrhoea and dyschezia suggest prevalences <10%. Infantile colic may be associated with future health problems in a subset of infants. Conclusions: Functional gastrointestinal symptoms appear to occur in a significant proportion of infants younger than 12 months and may have an impact on future health outcomes. Prospective collection of data according to agreed criteria is needed to obtain more accurate estimates of the prevalence and consequences of these symptoms.

Esophageal Impedance in Children: Symptom-Based Results

OBJECTIVE To correlate multiple intraluminal esophageal impedance recording with pH-monitoring with symptoms. STUDY DESIGN Symptoms occurring within a 2-minute window of a reflux were considered to be associated with reflux. Analyses were performed in 1- to 6-, 6- to 12-, and >12-months-old patients for crying, pain, cough, and vomiting. RESULTS A total of 70 of 225 tracings were discarded. Of 2172 symptoms, 1136 (52%) were reflux-associated (45% acid reflux [AR], 51% weakly AR, 3% alkaline reflux). The strongest reflux-symptom association was found for vomiting. Cough-reflux association was higher in infants than in older children. In older patients, symptom-reflux association was more with AR. Symptoms were associated with proximal reflux in 70% of patients. The symptom index and symptom association probability (SAP) were positive (>50% for symptom index and >95% for SAP) for all refluxes in 83% and 46% of patients and for AR in 49% and 47% of patients, respectively. In 1- to 6-month-old infants, symptom index and SAP were higher for weakly AR than for AR. For crying, SAP was independent of AR or weakly AR. For cough, SAP was positive in one-third of patients, predominantly with AR in 6- to 12-month-old infants and with weakly AR in the other infants. CONCLUSION Multiple intraluminal esophageal impedance recording with pH-monitoring doubles the probability of documenting an association between symptoms and reflux compared with pH monitoring. In young infants, symptoms are more frequently associated with weakly AR than with AR.

Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease - Oesophageal Impedance Versus pH-monitoring

Gastro‐oesophageal reflux occurs frequently during the first months of life. Infants receive frequent milk feeds, and because milk is a potent buffer of gastric acidity, oesophageal impedance should detect more reflux than pH recording. Indeed, impedance has the advantage over pH monitoring of being independent of pH, and as a consequence, of being better adapted to measure reflux during postprandial periods when reflux is buffered and to detect symptoms associated with non‐acid or weakly acid reflux episodes. Numerous episodes are detected by one of these techniques (pH monitoring or impedance) in children. Most studies using the impedance technique consider very small numbers of patients, and there are few reports linking data from diagnostic impedance procedures to clinical outcome in symptomatic patients. Data suggesting that impedance does offer a clear‐cut benefit in paediatric clinical practice are missing. The high cost of the material and the investment in time necessary for interpretation of the recording, remains a handicap. It is mandatory, despite ethical difficulties, to obtain normal ranges for intraluminal impedance monitoring.

Will esophageal impedance replace pH monitoring

Esophageal impedance, a technique based on the fact that the passage of a bolus changes the impedance between esophageal segments, is being used more and more. Multiple esophageal impedance combined with pH monitoring is advocated to become the preferred technique to measure acid and nonacid gastroesophageal reflux. Compared with pH monitoring, impedance has the advantage of being independent of pH and, as a consequence, is better adapted to measure reflux (especially in the postprandial period when reflux is buffered) and detect symptoms associated with nonacid- or weakly acid-reflux episodes. Conversely, the analysis of an impedance tracing requires more time and knowledge than a pH tracing and is possibly subjected to higher interobserver variability. Day-to-day reproducibility and interobserver variability are considerable. Episodes detected only by pH monitoring or impedance are numerous in pediatrics; therefore, pH monitoring and impedance should be associated in analyses of multiple esophageal impedance combined with pH monitoring. Up to now, there has been a striking absence of literature showing attempts to link data from diagnostic procedures to clinical outcome in symptomatic patients. Furthermore, data suggesting that impedance does offer a clear-cut benefit in pediatric clinical routine are missing. High cost of the material and the investment in time necessary for interpretation of the recording remain a handicap. However, because pH monitoring is part of impedance technology, it is likely that the latter will soon replace pH monitoring despite the current need of scientific evidence demonstrating a relation between symptoms, esophageal damage or response to reflux treatment, and results of multiple esophageal impedance combined with pH monitoring.

Esophageal impedance and esophagitis in children: any correlation?

Aim: The aim of this study was to correlate the data obtained with multiple intraluminal esophageal impedance and pH (MII-pH) recordings in infants and children referred for suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease with esophageal histology. Materials and Methods: In a prospective study, results of esophageal biopsies and MII-pH recording obtained in 45 children (mean age ± SD: 69 ± 55 months) were analyzed. Regarding the MII-pH data, an automatic (Autoscan Bioview Analysis Software, version 5.3.4, Sandhill Scientific Inc, Highlands Ranch, CO) and a manual reading were performed; an automatic pH analysis (meal included) was also performed. Results: Acidic, weakly acidic, and alkaline reflux episodes accounted, respectively, for 48.7%, 49.5%, and 1.8% of the total number of reflux episodes detected by MII-pH. Esophagitis was present in 25 (56%) children. Concordance between classic pH-study analysis (alone) and esophageal histology was found in 19 of 45 (42%) children. According to the MII-pH analysis, the mean and median value of the pH were significantly higher in the group with esophagitis than in the group with normal esophageal histology. A longer clearance time was found in the group with esophagitis than in subjects with normal histology. Gas reflux episodes represented 21% of the total reflux episodes and were comparable in both groups. Conclusions: Multiple intraluminal esophageal impedance and pH analysis does not provide a distinct parameter to predict esophageal mucosal injury in children. In our population, MII-pH shows comparable acidic, weakly acidic, alkaline, and gas reflux in children with and without esophagitis. Further research is needed to analyze clearance parameters.

Postinfectious Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children: A Multicenter Prospective Study

OBJECTIVES To prospectively investigate the occurrence of postinfectious functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), diagnosed according to the Rome III criteria, in children with acute diarrhea of different infectious etiology. STUDY DESIGN This was a prospective cohort multicenter study. Children 4-17 years of age presenting with acute diarrhea who tested positive for an enteric infection were recruited within 1 month from the episode and matched with control subjects of similar age and sex. Symptoms were evaluated with a validated questionnaire for FGIDs at the time of enrollment in the study and after 3 and 6 months. RESULTS A total of 64 patients (36 boys; median age 5.3 years; age range 4.1-14.1 years) were recruited, 32 subjects in each arm. Infections included rotavirus (56.8%), salmonella (30%), adenovirus (6.6%), norovirus (3.3%), and Giardia lamblia (3.3%). FGIDs were significantly more common in exposed patients compared with controls within 1 month from acute diarrhea (40.6% vs 12.5% [P = .02, relative risk (RR) = 1.9]), 3 months (53% vs 15.6% [P = .003, RR = 2.2]), and 6 months (46.8% vs 15.6% [P = .01, RR = 1.9]) later. No correlation was found between different etiologies, age, or sex, and any type of FGIDs. Among exposed children, abdominal pain-related FGIDs were significantly more frequent compared with controls after 6 months from infection (P = .04, RR = 1.7). CONCLUSION This prospective cohort multicenter study supports postinfectious FGIDs as a true entity in children. There seems to be a significant increase in abdominal pain-related FGIDs after acute diarrhea in children within 1 month and 3 and 6 months later.

Low Fecal Elastase: Potentially Related to Transient Small Bowel Damage Resulting from Enteric Pathogens

Fecal elastase is considered to be a highly sensitive and specific non-invasive exocrine pancreatic function test. However, enteropathy may theoretically cause decreased exocrine pancreatic enzyme secretion through alteration of enteric hormone release. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible influence of transient small bowel damage on pancreatic elastase secretion. Methods We studied 166 children (aged 4 months to 14 years, mean 2 years); 114 of these children had acute enteritis and 52 children were control subjects (with gastro-intestinal symptoms or extra-intestinal diseases). Feces were collected from each patient 3 days after the onset of diarrhea and then tested for fecal elastase, bacterial pathogens, Rotavirus, and Adenovirus. Liquid fecal samples were not considered eligible for elastase measurement. Pancreatic elastase was measured using an ELISA method (Sche.Bo.Tech, Germany). We classified the results, expressed in &mgr;g/g stool, as: severe pancreatic insufficiency (<100 &mgr;g/g), moderate pancreatic insufficiency (100 to 200 &mgr;g/g), and normal (>200 &mgr;g/g). Results In the acute enteritis group we found severe levels in 14 (12%) children, moderate levels in 18 children (16%), and normal levels in 82 children (72%). In contrast, 52 of 52 (100%) control subjects demonstrated normal results. Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon rank test) demonstrated a significant difference between the enteritis and control groups (P < 0.01). Serial measurement of fecal elastase performed in 10 patients with enteritis showed a progressive increase of levels in 6 patients and an early decline with subsequent increases in the other 4 patients. Conclusions Transient exocrine pancreatic insufficiency may be present in transient small bowel disease, caused by both bacterial and viral infections, possibly related to reduced enteric CCK secretion.

Effects of domperidone on QTc interval in infants.

Aim:  To prospectively evaluate the effects of oral domperidone on the QTc interval in infants.

Multiple sclerosis and celiac disease: is there an increased risk?

Multiple sclerosis and celiac disease are both considered immune-mediated diseases. Recently, improved serological screening methods provided a higher prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in the general population worldwide and also demonstrated gastrointestinal symptoms may be lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of (CD) in an unselected group of 95 adults with multiple sclerosis using transglutaminase antibodies. No patients showed pathological values. Different immune and genetic basis between the two diseases may represent crucial insights to explain our results.

Should partial hydrolysates be used as starter infant formula? a working group consensus

ABSTRACT Partially hydrolyzed formulas (pHFs) are increasingly used worldwide, both in the prevention of atopic disease in at-risk infants and in the therapeutic management of infants with functional gastrointestinal manifestations. Because prevention is always preferable to treatment, we reviewed the literature aiming to find an answer for the question whether pHF may be recommended for feeding all infants if breast-feeding is not possible. PubMed and Cochrane databases were searched up to December 2014. In addition, to search for data that remained undetected by the searches, we approached authors of relevant articles and major producers of pHFs asking for unpublished data. Because few data were found, nonrandomized, controlled trials and trials in preterm infants were included as well. Overall, only limited data could be found on the efficacy and safety of pHF in healthy term infants. Available data do not indicate that pHFs are potentially harmful for healthy, term infants. With respect to long-term outcomes, particularly referring to immune, metabolic and hormonal effects, data are, however, nonexistent. From a regulatory point of view, pHFs meet the nutrient requirements to be considered as standard formula for term healthy infants. Cost, which is different from country to country, should be considered in the decision-making process. Based on limited available data, the use of pHF in healthy infants is safe with regard to growth. The lack of data, in particular for metabolic consequences and long-term outcomes, is, however, the basis for our recommendation that health authorities should develop and support long-term follow-up studies. Efficacy and long-term safety data are required before a recommendation of this type of formula for all infants can be made.