Absorption of carbon 13-labeled rice in milk by infants during acute gastroenteritis

Although the nutrients in rice are absorbed well by children older than six months who have diarrhea, their absorption by younger children has not been well characterized. The issue is important because rice is a staple food in most parts of the world, and is often given to infants with diarrhea. To learn more concerning the absorption of rice cereal in such cases, eight infants younger than five months with watery diarrhea were studied. Seven were studied again after they recovered from their illness (the parents of the eighth declined further participation). Dehydration, if present, was treated with oral rehydration fluids, and all infants began receiving a milk formula when water and electrolyte balances had returned to normal. The formula, whose composition is described, contained precooked rice cereal; for the first feeding after hospital admission, the rice cereal contained a radioactive tracer and color marker so its passage through the digestive system could be monitored. A variety of physiological measurements were carried out on the infants. Results indicated that the rice was well absorbed (between 84 percent and 96 percent) by seven of eight subjects in the first study, even when diarrhea was present. Physiological parameters indicative of nutrient utilization are presented. The findings show that rice is a suitable alternative to milk for dietary energy in acute diarrhea when milk cannot be taken. Whether a rice-supplemented diet can be recommended for young infants with severe diarrhea should be evaluated in a larger study. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)