G. Boehm et al., FECAL CHOLESTEROL EXCRETION IN PRETERM INFANTS FED BREAST-MILK OR FORMULA WITH DIFFERENT CHOLESTEROL CONTENTS, Acta paediatrica, 84(3), 1995, pp. 240-244
In 44 very low-birth-weight infants, fecal cholesterol excretion was m
easured and in 29 other infants serum total cholesterol concentrations
in response to different cholesterol intakes were studied. The infant
s received fortified breast milk (mean cholesterol content 15.3 mg/dl)
or were fed either a standard preterm formula (cholesterol content 5.
5 mg/dl) or the same formula but with a modified lipid composition (lo
ng chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration closely related to b
reast milk fat) and 30 mg of cholesterol/dl. In the group fed the high
cholesterol formula, fecal cholesterol excretion was significantly hi
gher (35.5 mmol/kg/day) than in the groups fed breast milk or the stan
dard formula (20.1 and 18.2 mmol/kg/day). Cholesterol balance in the g
roup fed the high cholesterol formula (21.8 mmol/kg/day) was significa
ntly higher than in the group fed breast milk (+8.6 mg/kg/day). In the
infants fed the low cholesterol formula the balance was negative (-7.
7 mg/kg/day). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol were similar i
n the groups fed breast milk or the high cholesterol formula (3.47 and
3.51 mmol/l), but significantly higher than in the group fed the low
cholesterol formula (3.15 mmol/l). The data suggest that preterm infan
ts are able to regulate a higher cholesterol intake than during breast
feeding by increasing fecal cholesterol excretion as well as decreasi
ng endogenous synthesis.