Dietary fructose in the management of intractable diarrhea of infancy.

Carbohydrate digestion/absorption was evaluated in 11 infants with intractable diarrhea while they were receiving a carbohydrate-free soy-isolate formula. Seven patients were fed within 48 h of admission. Enteral feedings were initiated in the remainder after they had gained 1 kg while receiving parenteral nutrition. All feedings were initially administered by continuous nasogastric infusion. Nine patients were initially fed formula with polymeric glucose; two received fructose as the carbohydrate source, based on a documented history of polymeric glucose intolerance. Five of the nine developed watery, acidic stools while receiving polymeric glucose. All were switched to fructose, which resulted in improvement in stool pH and consistency. Glucose tolerance was normal 1 month after discharge in all seven fructose-requiring infants. Three of six infants have shown a persistent inability to hydrolyze sucrose. Several putative mechanisms of polymeric glucose intolerance are discussed, as well as the apparent association with primary sucrase-isomaltase deficiency in three of the patients. Fructose is an effective alternative carbohydrate source in infants unable to tolerate polymeric glucose, and early initiation of fructose may obviate the need for total parenteral nutrition and prolonged bowel rest.