Effect of posture on the pattern of stomach emptying in the newborn.

To determine the effect of posture on the pattern of neonatal stomach emptying, 56 test meals of a 10% dextrose were given to 14 healthy infants over a period of two or three consecutive days. The infants, whose postnatal age ranged between 5 and 27 days, were studied in each of four positions. The emptying pattern was determined by the double-sampling dye-technique. The results indicate that there are no significant postural differences in the pattern of stomach emptying. They also indicate that neonatal and adult patterns are similar.