Table 1

Average cumulative per cent 13C-dose in the exhaled 2-h CO2 of underweight children, before and after nutritional rehabilitation

Subjects (n)Prenutritional rehabilitationDegree of underweight malnutrition relative to the expected normal weight for age (%)†=Time interval between study I and II (weeks)Postnutritional rehabilitationChange after nutritional rehabilitation (B–A; %)
Labelled CO2 output over the 2 h study period (mmol/h)Average per cent 13CO2 exhaled (study I)Cumulative per cent 13C-dose (caffeine) recovered* in the 2 h CO2 exhaled (%; A)Labelled CO2 output over the 2 h study period (mmol/h)Average per cent 13CO2 exhaled (study II)Cumulative per cent 13C-dose (caffeine) recovered* in the 2 h CO2 exhaled (%; B)
1251.440.0423010.6479.32232.820.0570813.292.65 (24.9)
2283.530.013913.9466.32251.340.025196.332.39 (60.7)
3254.840.0408310.4176.53234.510.0535212.552.14 (20.6)
4234.570.031947.4977.83224.370.0561111.343.85 (51.4)
5263.350.0445511.7366.73233.850.0502911.760.03 (0.3)
6244.560.003320.8168.43217.670.009101.981.17 (14.4)
7248.780.005571.3965.03217.290.008931.940.55 (39.6)
8196.460.032766.4475.62185.020.028865.34−1.10 (−17.1)
9214.020.019714.2262.74184.580.027145.010.79 (18.7)
10170.550.050258.5767.76153.920.037425.76−2.81 (−32.9)
11157.120.1021016.0476.92150.750.056458.51−7.53 (−46.9)
12158.980.053828.5676.94149.350.065019.711.15 (13.4)
13165.260.053258.8063.96142.110.053977.67−1.13 (−12.8)
14152.370.036785.6068.86137.900.048806.731.13 (20.2)
15159.860.054608.7360.86139.100.0726810.111.38 (15.8)
Mean+SD7.56±4.01*70.2±6.33.7±1.6 7.95±3.68*
  • *p<0.005; Student's t test.

  • †Expected normal weight is the estimated weight (w) for age using the methods in Nelson's Textbook of Pediatrics: (age in months+9)/2 for children aged 3–12 months; ((age in years×2)+8) for children aged 1–6 years and ((age in years ×7.5)/2) for children aged 7–12 years.23