• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.320-324
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• 2002

Purpose : Steatorrhea tests have been developed using various methods. Acid steatocrit is a simple method to detect steatorrhea and has very high sensitivity and specificity. This present study was designed to establish the normal values of acid steatocrit in Korean infants and to find the difference according to the various feeding methods. Methods : Acid steatocrit tests were conducted on 128 infants who were under 12 months of age and who had non-specific gastrointestinal diseases between May 1998 and April 2001. The results were classified into neonatal ages(79 neonates), 1-6 months(28 infants), 7-12 months(21 infants). This included formula-fed(46 neonates) and human milk-fed(33 neonates), 1-6 months formula-fed (18 infants) and human milk-fed(10 infants), 7-12 months formula-fed(11 infants) and human milk-fed(10 infants). Results : The acid steatocrit values decreased by infant age in months. Acid steatocrit values decreased much more after 7 months of ages. The acid steatocrit values of human milk-fed infants were significantly lower than those of formula-fed infants. Conclusion : Our study confirms that a physiologic steatorrhea was found in the infant period and decreases by infant age of months. The acid steatocrit test might be useful for the evaluation of gastrointestinal milk fat malabsorption disorders and therapeutic effects.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 2001

Purpose: The fecal acid steatocrit is an improved steatocrit method for the evaluation of fecal fat. The present study was set up in order to define the normal range of acid steatocrit values during the first 3 months of life. Methods: Fecal acid steatocrit values were determined in 78 healthy full term and in 21 healthy prematurely born infants between May 1998 and April 2000. The acid steatocrit method was performed in these babies during the first 3 months of life. Results: Steatorrhea occurs during the first month and then decreases, as shown by the fall in the acid steatocrit curve from 1st to 3rd month in our subject. Very high acid steatocrit results (above 90%) were found in all full term and premature infants during the first month of age. Acid steatocrit results of human milk-fed infants were significantly lower than those of formula-fed infants (p=0.0018). Conclusion: We conclude that high acid steatocrit results during the first 1 month of age can be due to physiologic steatorrhea. The acid steatocrit micromethod can be used for the evaluation of milk fat absorption in infants and monitoring steatorrhea instead of other more cumbersome methods.