Macromolecular absorption in preterm and term infants.
Human alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) has been used as a marker for measuring macromolecular absorption. The serum concentration of human alpha-LA after a human milk feed has been studied in 32 healthy very low birthweight infants (VLBW), fed human milk (gestational age 26-32 weeks) and in 56 term, breast-fed infants, age 3-140 days. At 31 weeks of gestation the serum concentration of human alpha-LA was more than 10 times higher (mean value 3,000 and median value 2,101 micrograms/l serum/l human milk/kg body weight, n = 11) than in the term infants aged 3-30 days (mean value 257 and median value 152, n = 29). The serum concentration of alpha-LA decreased with increasing maturity in the VLBW-infants. At a postconceptional age of 37 weeks the values were similar (mean value 200 and median value 99, n = 8) to those found for term infants during the first month. In the term infants a decreasing absorption of alpha-LA was found with increasing postnatal age.
Department of Paediatrics and Experimental Research, University of Lund, Malmö General Hospital, Sweden.
I
I
Axelsson
I
I
Jakobsson
T
T
Lindberg
S
S
Polberger
B
B
Benediktsson
N
N
Räihä
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000378:metabolism*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007768:Lactalbumin / Q000378:metabolism*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy
D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D007768:Lactalbumin