Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity01:28

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Osmolarity

Osmolarity is the measure of solute concentration in a solution. It plays a critical role in determining water availability for organisms. Water moves across semipermeable membranes through osmosis, flowing from regions of lower solute concentration (more dilute) to regions of higher solute concentration (more concentrated).In high-solute environments, microbial cells lose water, leading to dehydration and inhibited growth. The extent to which water is available to microbes in such environments...
Osmosis01:30

Osmosis

Osmosis is the movement of free water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.  The water's concentration gradient across the membrane is inversely proportional to the solutes' concentration. Whereas diffusion transports material across membranes and within cells, osmosis transports only water across a membrane, and the membrane limits the diffusion of solutes in the water. Osmosis is a special case of diffusion.
Water, like other substances, moves from a high concentration of free water...
Osmosis00:47

Osmosis

Approximately 60% to 95% of the weight of living organisms is attributed to water. Therefore, maintaining appropriate water balance within cells is of paramount importance. Osmosis is the movement of water across a semipermeable membrane, such as a cell’s plasma membrane. In living organisms, water plays a crucial role as a solvent—a molecule that dissolves other molecules.
Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions02:40

Osmosis and Osmotic Pressure of Solutions

A number of natural and synthetic materials exhibit selective permeation, meaning that only molecules or ions of a certain size, shape, polarity, charge, and so forth, are capable of passing through (permeating) the material. Biological cell membranes provide elegant examples of selective permeation in nature, while dialysis tubing used to remove metabolic wastes from blood is a more simplistic technological example. Regardless of how they may be fabricated, these materials are generally...
Expressing Solution Concentration02:48

Expressing Solution Concentration

A solute is a component of a solution that is typically present at a much lower concentration than the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
Concentrations may be quantitatively assessed using a wide variety of measurement units, each convenient for particular applications. Molarity (M) is a useful concentration unit for many applications in chemistry.
Tonicity in Animals00:59

Tonicity in Animals

The tonicity of a solution determines if a cell gains or loses water in that solution. The tonicity depends on the permeability of the cell membrane for different solutes and the concentration of nonpenetrating solutes in the solution within and outside of the cell. If a semipermeable membrane hinders the passage of some solutes but allows water to follow its concentration gradient, water moves from the side with low osmolarity (i.e., less solute) to the side with higher osmolarity (i.e.,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Nutrition and neonatal morbidities: from general recommendations to condition-specific care.

Pediatric research·2026
Same author

Impact of Prematurity on Metabolic Maturation.

Journal of proteome research·2026
Same author

The Work Undertaken by Patients and Their Families Whilst in the Emergency Department.

Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy·2026
Same author

Individualised growth charts for preterm infants based on a cohort with healthy neurodevelopment.

Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)·2026
Same author

Full exclusively enteral fluids from day 1 versus gradual feeding in preterm infants (FEED1): a open-label, parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, superiority trial.

The Lancet. Child & adolescent health·2025
Same author

Growth Charts for Preterm Infants: Challenging at Birth, Problematic During Growth.

Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology·2025
Same journal

Impact of Kaiser permanente early-onset sepsis risk calculator implementation in hospitals, England: pre-post intervention cohort analysis.

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
Same journal

Postnatally acquired cytomegalovirus infection in preterm infants: an update on diagnosis, management and outcomes.

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
Same journal

High versus low PEEP in the delivery room: a preimplementation and postimplementation cohort study.

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
Same journal

Trends in the incidence of low-grade intraventricular haemorrhage among preterm babies: a national cohort study.

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
Same journal

Apnoeic oxygenation with nasal high flow during neonatal intubation: a prospective audit.

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
Same journal

Visual acuity assessments at 5 years in a national cohort (EPIPAGE-2).

Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

An Efficient Single-Person Technique for Milk Sampling from Laboratory Mice
04:56

An Efficient Single-Person Technique for Milk Sampling from Laboratory Mice

Published on: March 28, 2025

Milk osmolality: does it matter?

Freya Pearson1, Mark J Johnson, Alison A Leaf

  • 1Department of Neonatal Medicine, Southampton University Hospitals Trust, Mailpoint 105, Princess Anne Hospital, Coxford Road, Southampton SO16 5YA, UK. freya.pearson@suht.swest.nhs.uk

Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition
|September 21, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

High osmolality infant feed may slow gastric emptying, but evidence linking it to necrotizing enterocolitis is limited. Avoid adding supplements to infant milk to prevent increased osmolality.

More Related Videos

Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit
07:38

Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit

Published on: December 16, 2015

Milk Collection Methods for Mice and Reeves' Muntjac Deer
07:34

Milk Collection Methods for Mice and Reeves' Muntjac Deer

Published on: July 19, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

An Efficient Single-Person Technique for Milk Sampling from Laboratory Mice
04:56

An Efficient Single-Person Technique for Milk Sampling from Laboratory Mice

Published on: March 28, 2025

Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit
07:38

Milk Collection in the Rat Using Capillary Tubes and Estimation of Milk Fat Content by Creamatocrit

Published on: December 16, 2015

Milk Collection Methods for Mice and Reeves' Muntjac Deer
07:34

Milk Collection Methods for Mice and Reeves' Muntjac Deer

Published on: July 19, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition
  • Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric health

Background:

  • High osmolality in infant formula is suspected to cause necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • Current evidence for direct intestinal mucosal injury from hyperosmolar feeds is limited.
  • Infant feed osmolality varies, from human breast milk (~300 mOsm/kg) to fortified milk (>400 mOsm/kg).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence linking infant feed osmolality to necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • To investigate the effect of high osmolality on gastric emptying in infants.
  • To provide guidance on managing infant feed osmolality.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on infant feed osmolality and necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • Analysis of data on the relationship between osmolality and gastric emptying.
  • Evaluation of infant formula composition and osmolality.

Main Results:

  • Scant evidence supports a direct association between hyperosmolar feeds and necrotizing enterocolitis.
  • High osmolality of enteral formula may potentially slow gastric emptying.
  • Adding mineral and vitamin supplements to small milk volumes can significantly increase osmolality.

Conclusions:

  • The link between high osmolality infant feed and necrotizing enterocolitis is not well-established.
  • Minimizing osmolality by avoiding unnecessary supplements in infant formula is recommended.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the effects of osmolality on infant gut health.