A rare cause of intractable diarrhea of infancy

Abstract

Intractable watery diarrhea presenting in the neonatal period is a relatively uncommon condition. Congenital disorders of malabsorption are among the major causes of prolonged watery diarrhea. This is the case report of a 3-month male infant born to consanguineous parents, who presented with intractable diarrhea since birth. He was failing to thrive and wasted. Persistent diarrhea lead to prolonged hospitalisation and recurrent hypernatremic dehydration. Relevant investigations clinched the diagnosis of "congenital glucose galactose malabsorption (CGGM)". The astute clinician should have a high index of suspicion regarding such rare causes of diarrhea in early infancy, as an appropriate rational diagnosis can lead to life-saving treatment as depicted in this case report.