Plasma triglyceride increase after oral fat load in malabsorption during early childhood.

Plasma triglyceride (TG) levels were determined before and after a test meal of 2 g neutral fat per kg b.w. in 32 children with different malabsorption syndromes, 8 children with transient growth retardation without demonstrable disease and in 29 controls. The increase of plasma TG 120 min after the test meal was found to discriminate between children with malabsorption syndromes and controls during the studied age period, 1 month-3 years. In this respect it was superior to faecal fat determination. Children with transient growth retardation who later spontaneously regained satisfactory growth, although along a lower SD score than the initial one, showed a TG increase after the test meal comparable to that of the controls.