title: Nutritional balance studies of VLBW infants fed their mothers' milk fortified with a liquid human milk fortifier.
abstract: This article reports the results of a study designed to compare human milk fortified with a liquid human milk fortifier to a preterm infant formula by analyzing the metabolic balances of certain nutrients when these milks are fed to premature infants. Ten very low birth weight (VLBW) infants were studied during 4-day equilibration periods, then 4-day metabolic balances of N, fat, Ca and P, while each consumed a 1:1 mixture of a pool of its own mother's milk and the liquid human milk fortifier (HM/LF). For comparison, another 10 VLBW infants were studied in similar fashion while consuming the preterm infant formula (PF). Percent nitrogen retentions were 77 +/- 4% (+SD) and 79 +/- 4%, and fat absorptions were 94 +/- 7% and 92 +/- 5% in the HM/LF and PF groups, respectively, and did not differ between the groups. Calcium retention was 86 +/- 21 mg/kg/day (51 +/- 12%) in the HM/LF group and 104 +/- 43 mg/kg/day (45 +/- 19%) in the PF group. The percent Ca retentions did not differ. Phosphorus retentions were 56 +/- 7 mg/kg/day (67 +/- 9%) and 77 +/- 18 mg/kg/day (61 +/- 14%) in the HM/LF and PF groups, respectively. Increases in weight, length, and occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) were similar and normal in both groups. We conclude that VLBW infants fed the HM/LF, mixed 1:1 with their mothers' milk, had rates of absorption and retention of Ca, P, N, and fat similar to rates found in the concurrent study of VLBW infants fed a commercially available PF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Raschko
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Benda
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Buist
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human; D009751:Nutritional Requirements