REDUCED HEAT-LOSS FOLLOWING SUCROSE INGESTION IN PREMATURE AND NORMALHUMAN NEWBORNS

To determine the energy savings caused by sucrose taste, we measured h eat loss through direct calorimetry for 23 premature and normal term i nfants who were studied a total of 31 times. Following stabilization i n the calorimeter, crying was induced by applying 1 ml cold water to t he infant's foot. After 4 min, 0.1 or 0.2 ml sucrose were delivered in traorally through a remote syringe to arrest crying. Crying was accomp anied by a 13.2% increase in metabolic rate that was quickly and compl etely reversed during crying cessation caused by sucrose taste. Heat l oss was inversely and linearly related to infant body weight. The impl ications of these findings for minimizing crying and energy expenditur e in normal newborns and especially in ill or small newborns are discu ssed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.