American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 20, 89-97, Copyright © 1967 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Carbohydrate Absorption in Malnourished Children

¹ From Departments of Child Health and Medicine, University of Cape Town, and The Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital

Children with severe protein-calorie malnutrition appear to absorb monosaccharides efficiently although there is evidence that there may be some delay in absorption. In this series lactose malabsorption occurred in 65% of the children studied and the malabsorption was found not to be transient. Return of lactose absorption to normal had not been demonstrated even after a year but follow-up studies have been limited in time and numbers. The malabsorption of lactose is due to diminished or absent lactase activity and this is presumably an acquired deficit secondary to the mucosal damage that occurs in malnutrition. No evidence was found of malabsorption of other disaccharides (sucrose and maltose) although diminished sucrase activities were found in some patients.

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