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[Protein utilization by premature infants with a birth weight less than 1,500 g during nutrition with MANASAN or
1Klinik für Kindermedizin, Bereiches Medizin der Karl-Marx-Universität, Leipzig.
Insights
Very low birth weight infants fed MANASAN formula showed poorer protein utilization compared to human milk protein. This resulted in lower weight gain and nitrogen balance in the MANASAN group.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal nutrition
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric gastroenterology
Context:
- Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants require specialized nutrition for optimal growth and development.
- Assessing protein utilization is crucial for VLBW infants to ensure adequate nutrient absorption and metabolic processing.
- Human milk (HM) is considered the gold standard, but fortified formulas are common alternatives.
Purpose:
- To compare protein utilization in VLBW infants fed a cow's milk casein-based formula (MANASAN) versus fortified human milk protein.
- To evaluate nitrogen balance, weight gain, and specific urinary and serum markers of protein metabolism.
Summary:
- Nineteen VLBW infants were studied in their 5th-6th postnatal week, with 8 receiving MANASAN and 11 receiving fortified HM protein.
- Both groups had similar protein and energy intakes. MANASAN group showed higher serum alpha-amino-nitrogen and increased urinary excretion of alpha-amino-nitrogen, ammonium, and sulfuric acid.
- The MANASAN group exhibited significantly lower weight gain and nitrogen balance compared to the HM protein group.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that MANASAN formula may lead to less efficient protein utilization in VLBW infants compared to human milk protein.
- Elevated markers in the MANASAN group indicate potential metabolic stress or differences in protein processing.
- This research highlights the importance of evaluating specific protein sources for optimizing nutritional outcomes in premature infants.
Abstract:
Protein utilization in very low birth weight infants fed the formula MANASAN or human milk protein. The influence of protein utilization was studied in 19 very low birth weight infants appropriate for gestational age between the 5th and 6th week of postnatal life. 8 of the infants were fed with the formula MANASAN (protein: cow's milk casein) and 11 were fed with similar quantities of human milk (HM) protein (HM fortified with 6g freeze-dried HM/100 ml). On two following days the protein intake and the nitrogen excretion in urine and stools were measured and the nitrogen balance was calculated. In the urine the excretions of alpha-amino-nitrogen, urea, ammonium and sulfuric acid were also estimated. On one of both study days the concentrations of alpha-amino-nitrogen and urea were measured in the preprandially obtained serum. The weight gain was calculated as mean of two weeks ending with the last day of study. Despite the similar protein intakes and the sufficient energy intakes in both study groups the serum concentration of alpha-amino-nitrogen and the renal excretions of alpha-amino-nitrogen, ammonium and sulfuric acid were significantly higher in the groups fed MANASAN than in the groups fed HM protein. The excretion of ammonium in the urine was significantly correlated to the excretion of sulfuric acid. The weight gain and the nitrogen balance were significantly lower in the infants fed MANASAN in comparison to the infants fed HM protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)