BONE-MINERAL CONTENT IN CHILDREN WITH SHORT-BOWEL SYNDROME AFTER DISCONTINUATION OF PARENTERAL-NUTRITION

To determine whether children with short bowel syndrome had evidence o f metabolic bone disease, total body bone mineral content was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 18 patients and 36 age-, sex-, and race-matched control subjects. Children with short bowel syndrome had decreased bone mineral content compared with control subjects; ho wever, it was not significant when adjusted for differences in weight and height. Whether these children will have normal bone accretion thr oughout puberty is not known.