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Electrogastrography in Healthy Children Evaluation of Normal Values, Influence of Age, Gender, and Obesity

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Abstract

Electrogastrography (EGG) is a reliabletechnique to record gastric electrical activity.However, the normal values of electrical activity inchildren and the effects of age, gender, and body massindex (BMI) are not well defined. To evaluate theseitems, EGG signal was picked up before and after a mealin 114 healthy children (age range: 6-12 years) by meansof a pair of cutaneous electrodes sonographically placed on the abdominal surface. The dominantfrequency was prevalently found in the 2.0-4.0 cpm range(P < 0.001). A significant difference was foundcomparing the pre- and postprandial instability coefficient of dominant frequency (P <0.05). The EGG power increased postprandially (powerratio = 3.6), and the power ratio was not correlated tothe approach of the wall of the gastric antrum to the abdominal surface (Spearman r = 0.0045,NS). In obese children, the postprandial pattern inresponse to a mixed test meal containing carbohydrate asthe major caloric source was similar to that recorded in normal-weight children. EGG parameters werenot affected by age and gender apart from a significantdifference in the postprandial instability coefficientobtained from the “girls 9 years” groupcompared to the “girls <9 years” and“boys 9 years” groups (P < 0.05). Inconclusion, in children 6-12 years old, EGG parametersare not affected by BMI in response to a mixed testmeal. Gastric electrical rhythm and rate, and gastric power are notinfluenced by age and gender, whereas the instabilitycoefficient seems to be influenced by these factors. Thenormal values of the EGG parameters evaluated in this study should be introduced in the analysisof gastric electrical activity for an effectiveinterpretation of the EGG signal from children withfunctional or organic diseases.

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Authors
  1. G. Riezzo
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  2. M. Chiloiro
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  3. V. Guerra
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Riezzo, G., Chiloiro, M. & Guerra, V. Electrogastrography in Healthy Children Evaluation of Normal Values, Influence of Age, Gender, and Obesity. Dig Dis Sci 43, 1646–1651 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018894511181

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018894511181

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