Orocaecal transit time measured by breath hydrogen test in pre-school children

ABSTRACT

The orocaecal transit time (OCTT) was measured in 90 healthy children aged 1 to 5 years with the hydrogen breath test using lactulose (10 g in 10 per cent aqueous solution) as the test meal. The re1ationships between OCTT and gender, age, malnutrition status were assessed. The OCTT for 1.5 year-old children was 90.2 +/- 20.25 min (mean +/- SD). There was no significant difference in mean OCTT between boys and girls (89.03 +/- 15.45 vs. 91.05+/- 23.24). The mean OCTT of children who were still breast-fed (92.86+/-27.1 min) was also not different from those who were completely weaned (89.15+/-17.0 min). There was also no difference in OCTT between malnourished and non-malnourished children, and between age groups (1-2 y, 2-3 y, 3-4 y and 4-5 y).