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Effects of vitamin B6 intake on nutriture and growth of young infants

M W Borschel, A Kirksey, R E Hannemann

    The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
    |January 1, 1986
    PubMed

    Insights

    Formula-fed infants show higher vitamin B6 levels than breast-fed infants. Maternal supplementation with pyridoxine hydrochloride (PN·HCl) impacts infant plasma pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) levels, especially at lower doses.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatrics
    • Nutritional Science
    • Biochemistry

    Background:

    • Vitamin B6 is essential for infant development, but optimal intake levels are not well-established.
    • Limited experimental data exists regarding the vitamin B6 requirements for healthy human infants.
    • Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) is the active form of vitamin B6, crucial for various metabolic processes.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the relationship between vitamin B6 intake and plasma PLP levels in breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants.
    • To assess the impact of maternal pyridoxine hydrochloride (PN·HCl) supplementation on infant vitamin B6 status.
    • To compare vitamin B6 nutriture in BF and FF infants over the first six months of life.

    Main Methods:

    • Cross-sectional study comparing plasma PLP levels in BF and FF infants at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of age.
    • Mothers of BF infants received either 2.5 mg or 15.0 mg PN·HCl daily.
    • Growth parameters and plasma PLP concentrations were measured.

    Main Results:

    • Plasma PLP levels were significantly higher in FF infants compared to BF infants at all measured time points after birth.
    • BF infants whose mothers received 2.5 mg PN·HCl/d had the lowest plasma PLP levels.
    • Mean plasma PLP levels decreased with age in infants and showed a correlation with vitamin B6 intake only at 1 month of age.

    Conclusions:

    • Formula feeding provides adequate vitamin B6 for infants, resulting in higher plasma PLP levels than observed in breast-fed infants.
    • Maternal vitamin B6 supplementation is crucial for maintaining adequate infant PLP levels, particularly at lower intake levels.
    • Further research is needed to determine the long-term consequences of lower plasma PLP levels in breast-fed infants.

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