Assessment of dietary interventions including low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols diet as management for fructose intolerance

Abstract

ObjectivesAbdominal pain remains one of the most common referral reasons to pediatric gastroenterology. Dietary intolerances are often considered but due to various factors are hardly pursued. We observed that diet review in large number of children with abdominal pain was high in sugary foods which led to food intolerance investigation and dietary intervention.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted of patients presenting with abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting and negative GI evaluation, who underwent fructose breath testing. Patients younger than 20 years old who were seen between June 1, 2018 and March 1, 2021 were included. Statistical analysis was performed in R.ResultsThere were 110 pediatric patients during the study period who underwent fructose breath testing, with 31% male and 69% female. The average age was 12.14 ± 4.01 years, and the average BMI was 21.21 ± 6.12. Abdominal pain was the most common presenting symptom (74.5%) followed by diarrhea and vomiting. Seventy‐seven patients (70%) had a positive fructose breath test and were diagnosed with dietary intolerance to fructose. The 56 (67.5%) of those patients experienced symptoms during the breath test. Forty‐three patients improved with dietary intervention. Twenty‐seven on low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols diet and 16 on other diets.ConclusionsBased on analysis of our cohort of children with abdominal pain and high incidence of fructose intolerance as well as improvement in symptoms, following dietary changes, this condition should be considered and treated. Further investigation is needed to improve diagnostic testing but also into understanding mechanisms behind symptom presentation in this population.