Dietary supplement and nutrition in children with cystic fibrosis
H. K. Berry, F. W. Kellogg, M. M. Hunt, R. L. Ingberg, L. Richter and C. Gutjahr
Assessment of nutritional status of patients with cystic fibrosis of the
pancreas (CFP) showed that poor growth was associated with low
concentrations of albumin, urea nitrogen, and cholesterol in serum and with
elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts. Patients with CFP maintained weight
approximately 1 standard deviation below the mean until 8 years, after
which there was a progressive decline in growth rate compared to normal. A
complete dietary supplement consisting of a beef serum hydrolysate, a
glucose polymer, and medium-chain triglycerides was given to 15 patients
for a year. Patients who received the diet showed significant gains in
weight, significant increase in clinical score, significant increase in
serum albumin level, and a significant drop in the WBC count compared to
control patients who did not receive the supplement.
