No Impact of Enteral Nutrition on Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Children with Cerebral Palsy

TL;DR

This study found that enteral nutrition does not affect levels of gut short-chain fatty acids in children with cerebral palsy.

Contribution

The study provides evidence that enteral nutrition does not alter SCFA levels in children with cerebral palsy compared to oral feeding.

Findings

Children with cerebral palsy fed orally had higher levels of isobutyric, valeric, and isovaleric acids than healthy controls.

No differences in SCFA levels were found between children receiving enteral nutrition and those fed orally.

Enteral nutrition does not influence SCFA levels in children with cerebral palsy.

Abstract

Bacteria can impact the host organism through their metabolites, with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) being the most important, including acetate (C2), propionate (C3), butyrate (C4), valerate (C5n), and isovalerate (C5i). This study aimed to identify the impact of enteral nutrition on SCFAs in children with cerebral palsy and to test the hypothesis that the type of nutrition in cerebral palsy affects gut SCFA levels. Cerebral palsy is a heterogeneous syndrome resulting from non-progressive damage to the central nervous system. The study group included 30 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, receiving enteral nutrition (Cerebral Palsy Enteral Nutrition (CPEN)) via gastrostomy. The first reference group (Cerebral Palsy Controls (CPCs)) consisted of 24 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and fed orally on a regular diet. The second reference group (Healthy Controls (HCs)) consisted of 24 healthy children with no chronic disease and fed on a regular diet. Isolation and measurement of SCFAs were conducted using gas chromatography. Differences were observed in the median contents of isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid between the CPC group, which had significantly higher levels of those acids than the HC group. No differences were found between the CPEN and CPC groups nor between the CPEN and HC groups. We conclude that enteral nutrition in cerebral palsy has no influence on the levels of SCFAs.

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