Gastric electrical activity normalises in the first decade of life.

Department of Surgery, The University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, China.

Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2000 Oct;10(5):295-9. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1072379.

AIM

Electrogastrography (EGG) is emerging as a non-invasive modality for clinical investigation, especially in children. Yet the results of EGG are influenced by many factors, including age. The objective of this study was to establish the relationship between EGG parameters and age.

METHODS

Fasting surface EGG (Digitrapper, Synectics) was recorded on 24 healthy boys. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, taking p < 0.05 as being statistically significant.

RESULTS

The age of the boys studied ranged from 1.0 to 11 years (mean = 6.0 years). The percentage of bradygastria was high, accounting for 34% of the recording. Normal rhythm increased (p = 0.013) and the bradygastria decreased with age (p = 0.026). The dominant frequency instability coefficient also decreased to a certain extent with age (p = 0.065).

CONCLUSION

Compared to the adult population, bradygastria is common in children. The EGG progressively approaches adult pattern as the enteric development matures in the first decade of life. This justifies the conservative approach in managing conditions like gastro-oesophageal reflux in young children.