No abstract

Intestinal fat absorption has been measured in 22 infants and children with various forms of steatorrhea or growth failure, using four different techniques. Vitamin A absorption, I131-triolein absorption, butterfat absorption (as measured by alteration in serum turbidity), and 4-day fecal fat balance. The last of these was used as the reference standard, expressed both as gm/ day and as percentage of intake excreted over the 4-day period. The measurement of Vitamin A absorption was unreliable as an index of the intestinal handling of lipid. I131-triolein absorption correlated well with fecal fat output, expressed as gm/day. A close relationship both to fecal fat balance and to quantitative daily excretion was attained by results of the serum turbidity method for butterfat absorption. The simplicity and special advantages of this technique are described.