Lipid requirements in infants with digestive diseases with references to short bowel syndrome.

The treatment of infants with short bowel syndrome aims at restoring the intestinal continuity and at improving the physiological process of gut adaptation. Appropriate parenteral and enteral feeding must be directed at maintaining an ptimal nutritional status. Due to a varying degree of long-chain triglyceride malabsorption, part of the dietary fat needs to be supplied in the form of medium-chain triglycerides in most patients. The dietary fat composition must also meet the needs for essential fatty acids and take into account the positive effects of long-chain lipids on gut trophicity. Appropriate dietary manipulations are of great benefit for infants and children with chronic digestive diseases.