Iron availability from an infant formula supplemented with bovine lactoferrin

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Pediatrics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Optimal iron status is critical for infant growth and neurodevelopment.
• Infant formulas aim to mimic breast milk composition, including iron bioavailability.
• Lactoferrin, a key protein in milk, is known to play a role in iron absorption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of bovine lactoferrin supplementation on iron balance in term infants.
• To quantify iron intake and retention in infants fed formula with and without lactoferrin.

Main Methods:

• Iron balance studies conducted in 16 term infants from 3 to 17 weeks of life.
• Five study periods with multiple 24-hour milk and stool sample collections.
• Comparison between an adapted infant formula with bovine lactoferrin (100 mg/100 ml) and a control formula without lactoferrin.

Main Results:

• The lactoferrin-supplemented group received higher iron intake (169 µg/kg/day) and showed greater iron retention (63 µg/kg/day).
• The non-supplemented group had a mean iron intake of 118 µg/kg/day and retained 43 µg/kg/day.
• Mean percentage iron retention was significantly higher in the supplemented group (36%) compared to the non-supplemented group (28%).

Conclusions:

• Bovine lactoferrin supplementation in infant formula enhances iron retention in term infants.
• This finding suggests that lactoferrin can improve the bioavailability of iron from infant formula.
• Lactoferrin supplementation may be a beneficial strategy to optimize iron status in formula-fed infants.