GALL-BLADDER CONTRACTILITY IN NEONATES - EFFECTS OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL FEEDING

The gall bladder size was measured in 30 newborn infants: 18 had been fed parenterally and 12 enterally. The two groups were comparable for gestational age, birthweight, postnatal age and study weight. Exclusio n criteria were haemodynamic instability, septicaemia, abdominal disea se and opioid treatment. Gall bladder size was measured at 15 minute i ntervals for 90 minutes using real-time ultrasonography and the volume calculated using the ellipsoid method. Parenterally fed infants had f urther measurements at 120, 150, and 360 minutes. The gall bladder was significantly larger in parenterally fed infants than in enterally fe d infants (p=0.0001). In enterally fed infants a 50% reduction in gall bladder volume was observed 15 minutes after starting the feed with a return to baseline volume by 90 minutes. In parenterally fed infants there was no gall bladder-contraction. Such information may give insig ht into the pathophysiology of hepato-biliary complications during par enteral nutrition in infants.