Minimal enteral feeding within 3 d of birth in prematurely born infants with birth weight < or = 1200 g improves bone mass by term age.

Background: Evidence-based practice guidelines for aggressive nutritional intervention by using parenteral amino acids (AAs) and minimal enteral feeding (MEF) as early as the first day of life have not been tested for benefits to bone mass.

Objective: We investigated whether early introduction of parenteral AAs and MEF improves growth and bone mass achieved by term age in infants born prematurely.

Design: Twenty-seven infants who were < or = 1200 g and < or = 32 wk gestation at birth were randomly assigned by using a 2 x 2 design to treatment of either 1 g AAs/kg within the first 24 h or 12 mL MEF x kg(-1) x d(-1) within the first 72 h of life.

Maternal and cord blood long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are predictive of bone mass at birth in healthy term-born infants.

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) are associated with bone mass in animals and human adults, yet no data exist for human infants. Thus, the objective of this study was to establish that LC PUFA status is associated with bone mass in healthy infants. Thirty mother-infant pairs were studied for LC PUFA status by measuring maternal and cord blood red blood cells (RBC) for arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and DHA.

Vitamin D deficiency and whole-body and femur bone mass relative to weight in healthy newborns.

Background: Vitamin D is required for normal bone growth and mineralization. We sought to determine whether vitamin D deficiency at birth is associated with bone mineral content (BMC) of Canadian infants.

Methods: We measured plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] as an indicator of vitamin D status in 50 healthy mothers and their newborn term infants.

A comparison of the metabolism of eighteen-carbon 13C-unsaturated fatty acids in healthy women.

Altered use of different dietary fatty acids may contribute to several chronic diseases, including obesity, noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. However, few comparative data are available to support this link, so the goal of the present study was to compare the metabolism of [(13)C]oleate, [(13)C]alpha-linolenate, [(13)C]elaidate, and [(13)C]linoleate through oxidation and incorporation into plasma lipid fractions and adipose tissue. Each tracer was given as a single oral bolus to six healthy women.

Why is carbon from some polyunsaturates extensively recycled into lipid synthesis?

We summarize here the evidence indicating that carbon from alpha-linolenate and linoleate is readily recycled into newly synthesized lipids. This pathway consumes the majority of these fatty acids that is not beta-oxidized as a fuel. Docosahexaenoate undergoes less beta-oxidation and carbon recycling than do alpha-linolenate or linoleate, but is it still actively metabolized by this pathway? Among polyunsaturates, arachidonate appears to undergo the least beta-oxidation and carbon recycling, an observation that may help account for the resistance of brain membranes to loss of arachidonate during dietary deficiency of n-6 polyunsaturates.

Eighteen-month follow-up of infants fed evaporated milk formula.

In parts of Canada including Newfoundland and Labrador and among Aboriginal peoples, infants still consume evaporated milk (EM) formulas for cultural and economic reasons. At 3 and 6 months, full-term infants fed EM (n = 30) received low intakes of iron, thiamine, selenium and had higher weight velocity than breastfed (BF, n = 29) infants. EM infants had greater anemia, lowered transketolase activity (thiamine) and lowered glutathione peroxidase (selenium) activity (p < 0.

Evaluation of full-term infants fed an evaporated milk formula.

The objective of this prospective, cohort study was to compare the nutritional status of full-term infants who were fed human milk (BF, n = 29), formula (FF, n = 30) or evaporated milk formulae (EM, n = 30) for at least 3 months. Infants were seen at enrollment, 3 and 6 months, at which times a blood sample, diet record and anthropometric data were collected. Infants in the EM group received solids earlier (12 +/- 5 weeks) than did FF infants (15 +/- 4 weeks), and both were earlier than BF infants (19 +/- 4 weeks).

Intravenous iron administration to very-low-birth-weight newborns receiving total and partial parenteral nutrition.

Background: Intravenous iron supplements are not routinely administered to very-low-birth-weight newborns receiving total parenteral nutrition because of the possible increased risk of infection and because iron needs may be met with blood transfusions.

Methods: To assess the benefits of a prudent IV iron supplement (200 to 250 micrograms/kg/d), 26 very-low-birth-weight newborns (birth weight, 1005 +/- 302 g; gestational age, 28 +/- 2.3 weeks; mean +/- SD) were randomly allocated to receive total parenteral nutrition without iron (No-Iron) or with iron supplied as iron dextran (Iron).