INFANT VITAMIN-B-6 STATUS CHANGES WITH AGE AND WITH FORMULA FEEDING

To study the effect of type of feeding on infant vitamin B-6 status, w e determined erythrocyte pyridoxal 5'-phosphate concentration (EPLP) a nd erythrocyte aspartate aminotransferase basal activity (EAST(o)) and its activation coefficient (alpha EAST) in 109 infants at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 mo of age. Thirty-six infants were exclusively breast-fed for 9 mo. Forty-six infants were exclusively breast-fed for 6 mo, and then given solid foods in addition. Twenty-seven infants were weaned by 2- 3 mo to an adapted cow milk-based formula (15 g protein/L and 0.6 mg p yridoxine/L) and given solid foods from 3 to 4 mo. Infant vitamin B-6 status was age-dependent; it was highest at 4 mo and thereafter gradua lly approached adult values. The larger the intake of formula, the hig her the vitamin B-6 status. In formulated infants at ages 2-6 mo, 71-9 6% of the EPLP values and 57-70% of the EAST(o) values were above the 95th percentile, and 35-53% of the alpha EAST values were below the 5t h percentile for these values in breast-fed infants. These findings ra ise the question of whether the vitamin B-6 content of formulas, espec ially in relation to protein content, should be reduced.