Study design (if review, criteria of inclusion for studies)
controlled trial
Participants
43 patients with cystic fibrosis
Interventions
28 patients received the diet for 12 months; 15 other patients received a conventional diet
Outcome measures
Comparison was made between their growth before, during, and after dietary treatment.
Main results
Artificial dietary treatment led to some improvement in height, weight, subscapular skinfold thickness, and a disproportionate advance of bone age for the group as a whole. Only 10 (36%) patients had a 'clinically' significant improvement in height, weight, or both--i.e. more than 0.5 standard deviation score. Greatest improvements were in young and mildly affected patients.
Authors' conclusions
It is proposed that the future use of such an unpleasant and expensive diet should be restricted to a few selected cases, rather than given as routine treatment.
Keywords: Adolescent; Child; Food; non pharmacological intervention - diet;