[Salivary amylase in kwashiorkor. III. Investigative study of salivary concentration and secretion in 4 patients presenting complications during nutritional recovery].

In four kwashiorkor children with ages between 20 and 36 months, the salivary volume (ml), the amylase concentration (U/ml) and secretion (U/Kg/5 min.) was studied, since the first day in the hospital until the discharge. These children had same diseases during the nutritional recuperation. The control group had eighteen children of the same age and eutrophic. The salivary secretion during 5 minutes was taken by special technic and in the same moment in each day. In one patient with serious kwashiorkor the level of the salivary secretion was slow while the nutritional state was bad. The levels of the salivary amylase secretion and concentration was slow while the disease was present making difficult the nutritional recuperation in each patient.