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Effects of Zinc and Copper Content of Formulas on Growth and on the Concentration of Zinc and Copper in Serum and Hair

1984; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 3; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/j.1536-4801.1984.tb08692.x

1536-4801

Ichiro Matsuda, Akimasa Higashi, Tetsuo Ikeda, Itsuko Uehara, Yumiko Kuroki,

GABA and Rice Research

Summary We studied the effect of dietary zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) on the levels of these elements in serum (at 1, 3, and 5 months of age) and in hair (at 5 months of age) of breast‐ and formula‐fed infants. Three different formulas were used: (a) Commercially available standard infant formula containing 1.0 mg/L of Zn and 30 μg/L of Cu; (b) Zn supplemented formula, containing 3.2 mg/L of Zn and 30 μg/L of Cu; and (c) Zn‐ and Cu‐supplemented formula, containing 3.2 mg/L of Zn and 400 μg/L of Cu. The median Zn content of breast milk was 4.8 mg/L at 1 week, 2.9 mg/L at 1 month, 1.1 mg/L at 3 months and 1.1 mg/L at 5 months. Breast milk Cu content was 510 μg/L at 1 week, 440 μg/L at 1 month, 270 μg/L at 3 months, and 200 μg/L at 5 months after delivery. All infants were healthy and full term, and weight and length velocities were similar in each of the four groups studied. Serum Zn levels were significantly higher both in the infants fed the Zn‐supplemented formula and those fed the Zn‐and‐Cu‐supplemented formula compared with the other two groups of infants at 3 and 5 months of age. Zn levels in hair were significantly elevated (invariably greater than 80 μg/g) only in infants fed Zn‐supplemented formula. Serum and hair Cu concentrations were similar in the four groups at each test time, except the 5 months' serum samples, in which Cu concentrations in infants fed Zn‐supplemented formula and Zn‐ and Cu‐supplemented formula were significantly lower than those of breast‐fed infants. These levels, however, were all within the normal range (±2 SD) of young adults. These observations support the recommended Zn and Cu concentrations in infant formulas by FAO/WHO, AAP, and ESPGN.