Potential Aluminium Toxicity in Infants Fed Special Infant Formula

• Published in: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 377 - 381
• Main Authors: Hawkins, Nicole M, Coffey, Susan, Lawson, Margaret S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott-Raven Publishers 01.11.1994; Lippincott
• Subjects: Aluminum - adverse effects; Aluminum - analysis; Aluminum - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Food toxicology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Infant; Infant Food - analysis; Infant, Newborn; Milk, Human - chemistry; Human; Toxicity; Infant; Aluminium; Concentration; Comparative study; Breast milk; Blood plasma
• ISSN: 0277-2116; 1536-4801
• DOI: 10.1097/00005176-199411000-00002

Aluminium was measured in samples of plasma and samples of feed obtained from 74 infants with normal renal function established on various feeds (breast, whey-based, fortified whey-based, preterm, soy, and casein hydrolysate). All infants were bolus fed, and blood samples were collected midway between feeds. Aluminium was measured using electrothermal atomization and atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean aluminium concentrations in milks were as followsbreast, 9.2 (xg/L [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.6–12.7]; whey-based, 165 μLg/L (95% CI, 151–180); fortified, 161 μg/L (95% CI, 143–180); preterm, 300 μg/L (95% CI, 272–328); soy, 534 (μg/L (95% CI, 470–598); casein hydrolysate, 773 μg/L (95% CI, 632–914). Mean plasma aluminium concentrations in infants receiving different milks were as followsbreast, 8.6 μg/L (95% CI, 5.6–10.6); whey-based, 9.2 μg/L (95% CI, 7.4–11.0); fortified, 10.3 μ,g/L (95% CI, 8.3–12.3); preterm, 9.7 μg/L (95% CI, 5.3–17.1); soy, 12.5 μg/L (95% CI, 5.0–20.0); casein hydrolysate, 15.2 μg/L (95% CI, 10.7–19.8). Mean plasma aluminium concentration was significantly different in infants fed casein hydrolysate formulae than in those fed breast milk (difference, 6.7 μg/L; 95% CI, 2.8–10.5; p = 0.028). We conclude that infants may be at risk from aluminium toxicity when consuming formula containing >300 μg/L–in particular, casein hydrolysate formulae. We speculate that the aluminium compounds found in breast milk are more bioavailable than those found in other milks and that some constituents of infant formula affect aluminium absorption from the gut lumen.