Glucose-galactose malabsorption is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by defects in the Na+/glucose cotransporter. Because of defective cotransport of glucose and galactose in the intestinal mucosa infants with glucose-galactose malabsorption suffer from chronic, profuse, watery diarrhea that often leads to hypernatremic dehydration. If not diagnosed and treated, the condition can be fatal. On the other hand, if appropriate dietary carbohydrate restriction is applied, the diarrhea stops and the child develops normally. We report two cases diagnosed as glucose-galactose malabsorption during the neonatal period. The cases were presented to emphasize that glucose- galactose malabsorption which is a rare disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, should be considered in differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea in the neonatal period.
Key words: Newborn, Glucose Galactose Malabsorption, diarrhea, dehydration
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