title: Selenium status of New Zealand infants fed either a selenium supplemented or a standard formula.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  New Zealand soils are deficient in the essential micronutrient, selenium. New Zealand infants have low selenium levels at birth and experience a further decline if fed cows milk based formula. This study examined the selenium status of infants fed with a new commercially available selenium supplemented formula.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four newborn infants, whose mothers wished to formula feed, were randomized in an open controlled trial to be fed a commercially available selenium supplemented cows milk formula (containing 17 micrograms Se/L) or an unsupplemented formula (containing 4.6 micrograms Se/L). Cord, 1 and 3 month blood samples were obtained for selenium status (plasma and red cell selenium and glutathione peroxidase) and thyroid function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean plasma selenium and glutathione peroxidase values were significantly higher in supplemented than unsupplemented infants at 1 month (unpaired t-tests; P < 0.0001 and P = 0.001 respectively) and 3 months (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0005). Analysis within treatment groups between time points (paired t-tests) showed that selenium supplementation prevented the fall in plasma selenium from birth to 1 month seen in unsupplemented infants and was associated with a rise in levels between 1 and 3 months (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supplementing cows milk formula with selenium to replicate the levels found in breast milk is nutritionally sound. Feeding from a few days of age with a formula containing 17 micrograms Se/L in infants with low selenium status at birth is sufficient to cause a rise to 80% of adult levels at 3 months of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Darlow
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Inder
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Sluis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nuthall
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mogridge
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Winterbourn
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005527:Food, Fortified; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D012643:Selenium / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium