Improved mineral balance in very low birth weight infants fed fortified human milk

Enhanced calcium and phosphorus retention was achieved in 16 very low birth weight infants (birth weight 1117 +/- 42 g, gestation 29 +/- 0.2 weeks) fed a preparation of fortified human milk augmented with calcium lactate and monobasic and dibasic phosphate salts. Measurements of growth and macronutrient utilization were similar to those obtained in a previous study of infants fed a preparation of fortified human milk that contained lower levels of calcium and phosphorus. However, unlike the relative hypophosphatemia, hypophosphaturia, and hypercalciuria noted in the infants in our earlier study, normal serum and urine phosphorus and urine calcium values were observed in this study. Postnatal calcium and phosphorus retentions correlated significantly with respective intakes, the absorption of fat, and the retention of nitrogen. The relationships among calcium and phosphorus intake and retention predict that 160 mg/kg/d and 94 mg/kg/d, respectively, must be fed to achieve retention equivalent to intrauterine estimates. Although postnatal retention of calcium and phosphorus may be increased to levels accumulated by the fetus, technical considerations for the preparation of a formula with sufficiently high levels of calcium and phosphorus must be resolved.