[Caloric balance in full-term healthy infants in relation to the composition of various milk formulas]

In available literature the results of calorie balance studies carried out systematically during the whole first year of life have not been found. As the knowledge of energy metabolism in infants is still insufficient the longitudinal calorie balance studies of healthy infants as well as of infants with various alimentary tract disorders, and these born with low body weight were undertaken. In this paper the results of calorie balance studies in 15 healthy, full-term and full-size infants are presented. A three-day calorie balance investigations were carried out once a month after 5-10 days of adaptation to the diet. Caloric values of really consumed food, the quantity of calories excreted in faces and urine was determined in the ballistic calorimetric bomb using the method of Miller and Payne. The infants were divided into three groups according to the composition of the test formulas, which were given for the first six months of life. From the third week of life all infants were given juices and vitamins, from the fourth month vegetable soup. In the second semester of life all the infants were fed the same standard diet according to the scheme of artificial feeding in Poland. The test standard diet according to the scheme of artificial feeding in Poland. The test formulas were isocaloric and they differed mainly with protein quantity as well as fat quantity and quality: in two formulas the cow's milk fat was totally replaced with soya oil. The main parameters of calorie balance--calorie intake, calorie excretion in feces and in urine, the metabolizable energy in kcal/kg b.w./24 hrs and as percent of calorie intake were estimated. the relation of gain in weight to calorie intake and caloric efficiency of milk formulas used was counted. The results were presented in tables and figures. In the discussion the relationship between some parameters of calorie balance were evaluated, particularly the relation between calorie intake and gain in weight. According to the data from literature the caloric efficiency of formulas containing vegetable oils is higher than of the formulas containing unmodified cow's milk fat and the daily gain in weight of infants fed fat modified formulas is better. In our investigations there were no differences in the caloric efficiency of formulas used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)