Congenital glucose-galactose malabsorption in Arab children.

Eight children with chronic diarrhea from glucose-galactose malabsorption from eight different families are presented. Six children are Saudi Arabs and two are of the other Arab nationalities. The mean age of the children at the time of presentation was 10.6 months. They were first seen for chronic watery diarrhea, present since birth, and failure to thrive. Laboratory investigations, including small-bowel biopsy, histology, and small-bowel enzyme assay, confirmed the diagnosis of glucose-galactose malabsorption. One child had a renal stone at the first visit, and another was discovered to have one on follow-up. All the children responded clinically to fructose-based formula, and they are thriving at follow-up.