Energy utilization of breast-fed and formula-fed infants

Article Abstract:

Studies of the energy intake of breast-fed infants have shown that healthy infants consume significantly fewer calories than the theoretical requirements, as defined by the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). One study reported that exclusively breast-fed 4-month-old infants consumed an average of 71 kilocalories/kilogram body weight, whereas the RDA is 115 kcal/kg daily. Research comparing breast-fed with formula-fed babies has also shown that those fed breast milk consume less energy. The reasons why breast-fed babies can thrive on less energy are not clear. Some have suggested that the nutrients in breast milk are more efficiently utilized by the infant than the nutrients in formula. A total of 65 infants, of which approximately half were breast-fed and half were formula-fed, were studied at either one or four months of age to relate energy intake to the following factors: basal metabolic rate, the energy burned while at rest; activity level, primarily defined by time spent sleeping; and the thermic effect of feeding (TEF), the amount of energy burned immediately after eating. The energy intake of formula-fed babies was significantly greater than that of breast-fed babies at four months, but the groups did not differ at one month. The difference at four months was not explained by the TEF or sleeping metabolic rate. It appeared that the breast-fed babies had less energy available to them for growth and activity than their formula-fed counterparts, but surprisingly the breast-fed babies slept less, indicating that they were more active, and they grew equally well. More research is needed on the energy metabolism and requirements of normal infants. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Energy metabolism, Breast feeding, Bottle feeding, Infant formulas

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Prevalence of iron deficiency in children aged 9-24 mo from a large urban area of Argentina

Article Abstract:

The most common nutrient deficiency in the world is iron deficiency. Children under age two years are at especially high risk for iron deficiency and the anemia that may result. While Argentina has the highest availability of beef (a food rich in iron) in the world, there is some evidence that infants and preschool children in Argentina may be deficient in this mineral. The prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia was studied in Argentine children, aged 9 to 24 months. An urban area of Buenos Aires was chosen because the residents are diverse and representative of the larger population. Venous blood samples, taken from 384 children, revealed that the incidence of anemia was 47 percent. The iron status indicators tested were: hemoglobin, serum ferritin, mean corpuscular volume, packed-cell volume, and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin. Forty-six percent of the children had two or three abnormal levels for the iron status indicators. The findings indicate that there is an extremely high incidence of anemia in Argentine children between 9 and 24 months of age. Dietary practices that were linked to the high rate of anemia included inadequate consumption of iron-fortified foods and iron supplements, introduction of cow milk at too early an age, and low iron intakes, which averaged only 5.6 milligrams of iron per day. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Pediatric diseases, Argentina, Preschool children, Iron deficiency anemia, Iron deficiency anemia in children

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