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Review · Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2018Abstract only

Starch digestion in young infants and older children

Shulman RJ · Abstract on PubMed

What it found

Young infants appear to digest starch less well than older infants and toddlers, but there is great variability between infants.

The evidence points to maltase-glucoamylase as important for starch digestion in young infants.

What they found

Studies in people

Starch digestion by age

Starch digestion in young infants appears to be compromised whenever compared with that in older infants and toddlers. This appears to be the case.

Variability among infants

There is great variability among infants in their ability to digest starch.

Role of maltase-glucoamylase

Evidence points to the importance of maltase-glucoamylase in young infants and its effect on starch digestion.

What the authors conclude

“These observations have critical importance for recommendations regarding the feeding of starch-containing foods to young infants.”
Shulman RJ, 2018

Also in their conclusions

  • They say these observations have critical importance for recommendations regarding the feeding of starch-containing foods to young infants.

How it was done

Starch digestion in young infants was expected to be compromised compared with older infants and toddlers, based on the developmental physiology of pancreatic amylase production.

What it can’t tell you

  • We summarised it from the abstract only.
  • This is a review based on the abstract only, so it cannot show how much starch any one infant can digest.
  • It cannot show what happens over time in a single child.

The paper

Title
Starch Malabsorption in Infants
Type
ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
Evidence
Studies in people
Summarised from
Abstract only
Cite
Shulman RJ (2018). Starch Malabsorption in Infants. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000001856PubMed 29762382DOI

Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error