HYPOCALCEMIA-HYPERPHOSPHATEMIA DUE TO SOY MILK FEEDING IN EARLY INFANCY

A 14 weeks old infant was admitted to the intensive care unit with lif ethreatening hypocalcemic-hyperphosphatemic spasms. Hypocalcemia-hyper phosphatemia was found to have been caused by feeding a high phosphate /low calcium soy milk. The daily uptake of calcium was calculated to h ave been 3,3-6 mmol that of phosphate 30 mmol. The parents strongly be lieved that soy milk formulas were equivalent to breast milk and cow's milk formulas and lived on a strictly vegetarian diet. Therapy with c alcium (at an initial dose of 2,25 mmol/kg/day) and 1,25 OH vitamine D 3 (Rocaltrol(R), 0,25 mu g/day) normalized Ca, PO4, vitamine D and par athyroid hormone levels rapidly. Vegetarian feeding had led to life-th reatening hypocalcemic hyperphosphatemic spasms in the infant. We conc lude that malnutrition and false nutritional beliefs have to be includ ed as a potential cause of early hypocalcemia in infants.