Effects of an artificial diet on growth of patients with cystic fibrosis.

The effects of an artificial diet on growth were examined in a 
controlled trial on 43 patients with cystic fibrosis. 28 patients received 
the diet for 12 months. Comparison was made between their growth 
before, during, and after dietary treatment. Growth changes were also assessed 
in 15 other patients who received a conventional diet. 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. 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. 