GUT TRANSIT TIME AND LACTOSE MALABSORPTION DURING PHOTOTHERAPY

Abstract

Newborn infants [60] with normal birth weight suffering from uncomplicated hyperbilirubinemia were studied. They were fed human mature milk from which lactose was eliminated and sucrose (sucrose milk) or lactose (lactose milk) was added. Infants (30) received ordinary phototherapy and 30 intensive phototherapy (blue double light). In each group, (15) had sucrose milk and 15 lactose milk. No significant difference existed between the increase in blood glucose (.DELTA.BS) by lactose tolerance tests performed before phototherapy (LTTI) or during phototherapy (LTTII), in infants treated with ordinary or intensive phototherapy. All infants had normal .DELTA.BS-LTTII, except 1 receiving ordinary phototherapy. No significant difference existed in gut transit time between infants having sucrose milk and infants having lactose milk, in those treated with ordinary or with intensive phototherapy. Gut transit time was significantly shorter in infants treated with intensive phototherapy than in infants treated with ordinary phototherapy without any significant difference recurring in .DELTA.BS-LTTII. The infant with flat LTTII may have developed lactose malabsorption during the phototherapy. Lactose malabsorption is not the usual cause of the reduced gut transit time during phototherapy and must be a rare complication in phototherapy.