title: Plasma amino acid differences in very low birth weight infants fed either human milk or whey-dominant cow milk formula.
abstract: Midmorning plasma amino acid levels were measured in 31 healthy, very low birth weight infants (mean age 16 days, mean birth weight 1180 g, gestation 29 wk) during 96-h balance studies. All infants received continuous enteral infusion of isonitrogenous, isocaloric preparations of either human milk fortified with pasteurized, lyophilized fractions of mature human milk (n = 18) or whey-dominant cow milk-based formula (n = 13). Weight gain (15 g/kg/day), nitrogen retention (303 mg/kg/day), and metabolizable energy (104 kcal/kg/day) were similar between groups. Plasma levels of threonine, valine, and the sum of essential amino acids were significantly greater in the whey-dominant formula-fed infants (p less than 0.01). Taurine and cystine were measured in significantly greater concentrations in the fortified human milk and threonine, valine, methionine, and lysine in the whey-dominant cow milk formula (p less than 0.01). Relationships between plasma amino acid levels and indices of nitrogen utilization differed between groups. These differences suggest that further modifications of whey-dominant formulas may be indicated.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007785:Lactose; D008892:Milk; D008895:Milk, Human; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D007785:Lactose; D009584:Nitrogen