G. Jawaheer et al., GALL-BLADDER CONTRACTILITY IN NEONATES - EFFECTS OF PARENTERAL AND ENTERAL FEEDING, Archives of Disease in Childhood, 72(3), 1995, pp. 200-202
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.