Evaluation of a low-phosphate cow's milk diet on growth and bone mineralization of full-term infants

Growth, bone mineralization and intestinal absorption were studied in 16 infants fed low-phosphate cow's milk and compared with a group of 15 infants fed conventional cow's milk. In the low-phosphate-fed infants the intestinal calcium absorption was as high as in infants fed human milk, the main characteristics of growth and bone mineralization being similar to those of infants fed conventional cow's milk. Urinary calcium was elevated with a low cAMP excretion. The relative hypercalciuria might be the result of the amount absorbed in excess of that used for the bone accretion.