Plasma mineral concentrations in preterm infants fed a nutrient-enriched formula after hospital discharge,☆☆,,★★

Presented in part at the annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Biology and published as an abstract in FASEB J 1994;8:A460.
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Abstract

Objective: To determine whether prolonged feeding of preterm infant formula to preterm infants can accelerate recovery to normal plasma zinc levels without affecting plasma mineral homeostasis. Design: Part of concurrent prospective feeding trials in a university hospital- based population. Subjects and intervention: Preterm infants (n = 33; birth weight, 1037 ± 157 gm) were fed a preterm infant formula with higher concentrations of zinc, copper, calcium, magnesium, and potassium until 2 months past expected term, then a term infant formula. Term infants (n = 38; birth weight, 3318 ± 401 gm) fed this term infant formula from birth were a reference group for comparison with study infants and with published values. Plasma mineral levels were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. Results: Preterm infants fed a preterm infant formula after discharge from the hospital appeared to achieve normal plasma zinc concentrations by at least 2 months past term without adverse effects on mineral homeostasis. (J P EDIATR 1995;126:791-6)

Section snippets

METHODS

Preterm and term infants were the subjects of separate randomized trials that ran concurrently. Each trial was designed primarily to determine whether infant development could be improved by the addition of long-chain n-3 or n-6 fatty acids to formula. Because preterm infants fed term infant formula after discharge had a high incidence of biochemical vitamin A deficiency, 2 to avoid the possibility of marginal nutritional status confounding developmental outcomes, both control and experimental

RESULTS

Longitudinal changes in plasma concentrations of K, Ca Mg, Cu, Zn, and Fe are shown in Table III. In both term and preterm infants plasma K generally decreased with increasing age ( p <0.0001). The plasma K concentration obtained in preterm infants differed from that of term infants ( p <0.009), but this appeared to be due completely to a lower 12-month plasma K concentration in term compared with preterm infants. Mean plasma Ca and Mg concentrations remained constant throughout the study

DISCUSSION

Infant formulas specially designed for the nutrient needs of premature infants contain Zn concentrations of 10 to 12.2 mg/L and are routinely used for in-hospital feeding of preterm infants in the United States. However, preterm formula given only during the hospital stay, with the feeding of standard formula after hospital discharge, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 is not adequate to prevent a decline in plasma Zn levels. 14, 15, 16 Our data demonstrate that preterm infants fed preterm formula for 2 to 3

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    From the Department of Pediatrics and The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing

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    Supported by grants from the National Eye Institute (R01 EY08770), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD 31329), the National Center for Research Resources (M01 RR00211) and a gift from Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio.

    Reprint requests: Susan E. Carlson, PhD, Newborn Center, Room 201, 853 Jefferson Ave., Memphis, TN 38163.

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