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Glucose polymer tolerance in premature infants
Insights
Premature infant formulas with glucose polymer (GP) and lactose show similar blood sugar responses. However, GP stimulates a greater insulin release compared to lactose in healthy premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal nutrition
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Infant metabolism
Background:
- Premature infant formulas often contain glucose polymers (GP) as a carbohydrate source.
- Understanding carbohydrate digestion and absorption is crucial for infant nutrition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the digestion and absorption of glucose polymers (GP) versus lactose in healthy premature infants.
- To investigate the glycemic and insulinemic responses to GP and lactose in this population.
Main Methods:
- A tolerance test comparing glucose polymer (GP) and lactose was conducted on 11 healthy premature infants.
- Measurements included total plasma reducing substances (TPRS), plasma insulin (PI), and plasma glucose at baseline and post-carbohydrate meal.
- Data were collected at 30, 60, and 120 minutes after oral carbohydrate intake.
Main Results:
- Both lactose and GP significantly increased TPRS at 30 and 60 minutes, eliciting similar glycemic responses.
- Glucose polymer (GP) demonstrated a significantly higher plasma insulin (PI) response compared to lactose.
- The insulin response to GP was notable both as the area under the PI response curve and the PI/TPRS ratio.
Conclusions:
- Glucose polymers (GP) and lactose result in comparable glycemic responses in premature infants.
- GP appears to stimulate insulin secretion more robustly than lactose.
- The underlying physiological mechanism for this differential insulin response remains to be elucidated.
Abstract:
Some formulas designed for premature infants contain glucose polymer (GP) as part of their carbohydrate content. GP tolerance tests and lactose tolerance tests were performed on 11 healthy premature infants at 2 to 3 weeks of age to compare their ability to digest and absorb GP and lactose. Total plasma reducing substances (TPRS), plasma insulin (PI), and plasma glucose were measured 10 minutes before and 30, 60, and 120 minutes after the oral carbohydrate test meal. Lactose and GP stimulated a significant increase in TPRS at 30 and 60 minutes and produced similar glycemic responses. However, GP stimulated PI response whether measured as the area under the PI response curve or as the PI/TPRS ratio. It was concluded that although GP and lactose evoke similar glycemic responses, they differ in their abilities to stimulate insulin secretion. The mechanism controlling this differential insulin response is unknown.