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Molybdenum requirements in low-birth-weight infants receiving parenteral and enteral nutrition

J K Friel1, A C MacDonald, C N Mercer

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Janeway Child Health Centre, St John's, Canada.

JPEN. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
|May 25, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Molybdenum (Mo) deficiency is a risk for low-birth-weight (LBW) infants. Recommended intakes are 1 mcg/kg/day intravenously and 4-6 mcg/kg/day orally to ensure adequate Mo balance.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Trace Element Metabolism

Background:

  • Molybdenum (Mo) is essential for three key enzymatic systems.
  • No documented cases of Mo deficiency exist in infants.
  • Low-birth-weight (LBW) infants may be susceptible to Mo deficiency due to limited stores, rapid growth, and reliance on unsupplemented parenteral nutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molybdenum requirements in low-birth-weight infants.
  • To determine adequate molybdenum intake levels for LBW infants receiving various forms of nutrition.

Main Methods:

  • Collected all feeds, urine, and feces from 16 LBW infants at different nutritional stages: baseline, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), supplemental parenteral nutrition (SPN), and full oral feeds (FOFs).
  • Measured molybdenum (Mo) intake, output, and balance across these nutritional phases.
  • Analyzed Mo balance in relation to infant weight and nutritional support methods.

Main Results:

  • Molybdenum balance improved over time but remained negative in some infants despite intakes exceeding recommendations.
  • Molybdenum intake varied significantly across nutritional phases, from 0.03 mcg/d at baseline to 6.1 mcg/d during FOFs.
  • Molybdenum output also varied, with a notable increase during FOFs (4.1 mcg/d).

Conclusions:

  • An intravenous molybdenum intake of 1 mcg/kg/day (10 nmol/kg/day) is suggested.
  • An oral molybdenum intake of 4-6 mcg/kg/day (40-60 nmol/kg/day) is proposed as adequate for LBW infants.
  • These intake levels aim to ensure positive molybdenum balance and prevent deficiency in vulnerable LBW infants.
Abstract

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